was a tremendous platform and the mission
was not only challenging but loads of fun.
I loved playing ‘cat and mouse’ with SAM
sites throughout Germany and kicking their
butts. The F-4G was an exceptional weapons
system. It was so good we always felt like the
cat while playing those games. I seriously
doubt we’ve yet regained the capability we
lost when the F-4G was sent to the boneyard.
I felt everybody should have the capability to
see radar threats the way the F-4G did.”KILLER F-16s
The F-4E could carry the same weapons
as the F-4G but didn’t have the SEAD
acquisition systems. The wing’s elderly ‘E’
models were replaced by the F-16C Fighting
Falcon (nicknamed the ‘Viper’) in 1987,
which led to the unusual situation of two
aircraft types being assigned to a squadron
and working together on the same role. The
F-4G acting as ight lead due to its greater
situational awareness.
The F-16Cs were Block 30 aircraft with
new General Electric F-110-GE-100 engines
giving a decided advantage over the F-4E in
thrust and acceleration. These early F-16s
had their limitations though, such as the only
SEAD weapon they could carry was the less
than ideal Shrike.
Lt Col Dittmer, who ew the F-4E, F-4G
and F-16C at Spangdahlem said: “The initial
capability of the F-16 in the Wild Weasel
mission was about the same as the F-4E. We
planned to employ it at very low altitude using
the AGM-45 Shrike and use it the same way
as the F-4E. However, the F-16 was actually
worse at air-to-air than the F-4E as it waslimited to within visual range employment.
Both aircraft had a 20mm gun, but the only
missile the F-16 had at the time was the
AIM-9L Sidewinder, whereas the F-4E could
employ both the AIM-9 and AIM-7 Sparrow.
Still, our Doppler radar was a signi cant
improvement over the F-4’s radar, especially
against aircraft attacking from low altitude.”
The early Block 30 F-16Cs were not able
to use the AGM-88 HARM (unlike the F-4E,
later versions of the Fighting Falcon could
launch the weapon). Also, it could not operateindependently of the F-4G which led to the
mixed hunter/killer teams. Lt Col Dittmer
recalls: “The F-4G had great situational
awareness. Far more than we had in the F-16.
If only the threat had allowed for unlimited
radio chatter, or if there was some way to
transport all that knowledge the F-4G had
into the brain of the F-16 pilot, then we would
have been much happier. We never could
gure out a good solution to that problem, so
ying in mixed pairs was a ‘pain’. For the F-16
pilot it required total faith and an unnerving
dependency on another aircraft, that’s [a
situation] no ghter pilot could ever like, given
the mission we had. If those guys in the
Weasel didn’t have their ‘ducks in a row’ or if
they got shot down, we were really left out on
a limb without much to ght back with.”Only 112 F-4Gs were built and these were
divided between Clark AB, George AFB in
California and Spangdahlem. Consequently,
there were often shortages for missions
and exercises due to routine maintenance
schedules and the need to x faults.
Capt Benyshek describes typical
training: “We would y as a two- or four-ship.
Typically, a 15-second interval take-off, then
go VFR low level and root around ‘playing’
Weasel. There were established training
sites, and we also worked random air traffic
radars or even Hawk [SAM] batteries.
“The F-4G would pick up radar positions
from the APR-38, and then either shoot it
himself, or direct the wingman. We practised
comm-out, using tactical turns. Once
pointed at the threat, we would turn hard into
the wingman. This was his cue to pull up
about 30°, shoot and turn to follow us.
“The Shrike had many limitations, not the
least being it had speci c frequency bands. If
the ‘Viper’ had his two Shrikes, and the threat
you wanted to shoot wasn’t in that band...his
missiles were useless. Further, the loft pro le
exposed him to radar and nearby AAA.” The
usual tactical formation own was line abreast
with the aircraft about a mile apart.
When the F-16 was given the capability
of carrying the AGM-88 HARM it enhanced
its offensive role in the partnership, although
the aircraft’s ability to act independently
did not change signi cantly. However, new
tactics were developed to take full advantage
of the enhanced capability of the F-16C.
Colonel Dan Hampton (ret’d) ew with the
23rd TFS: “The F-16, by virtue of its magic
radar and manoeuvrability, acted as the
close air-to-air escort and back-up HARM
shooter. We primarily used the F-4G to
target the pop-up mobile threats whose
locations rapidly changed.“The F-4G was
the best SEAD
aircraft ever built...”
38 Aviation News incorporating Jets October 2018
Above left: Initially, the only anti-
radiation missile the F-16C could
carry was the Shrike, with the HARM
added later. US National Archives
Left: The F-4G Phantom and F-16C
Fighting Falcon started working
together in hunter/killer teams
from 1987 when the latter replaced
the F-4Es used by Spangdahlem’s
squadrons. US National Archives
Above right: Trio of Wild Weasels from
the 81st TFS over the Baltic Sea. US
National Archives
Right: An 81st TFS F-4G Phantom
taking off in front of an appreciative
crowd at the 1989 Mildenhall Air Fete.
Key Collection