Air Force, but also the air forces of ten foreign nations, making it one of the most widely-employed aircraft in the history of aviation. Its performance and versatility eventually attracted the interest of not only the U.S. The aircraft's maiden flight occurred in 1958 with deliveries to Navy and Marine Corps squadrons beginning in 1960. In response to Navy requirements for a high-altitude interceptor to defend carriers with long-range air-to-air missiles against attacking aircraft, McDonnell Aircraft Company delivered the F4H (later redesignated F-4) Phantom II. The aircraft on display, Bureau Number 153915, downed a MiG-19 fighter during aerial combat over North Vietnam. For over two decades the F-4 served as both the Navy and Air Forces' premier air superiority aircraft, and flew with both the Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds. Unique in that it carried no internal cannon, the F-4 relied on radar-guided missiles for offense and required a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) to operate its advanced sensors and weapons systems. Built as a high-altitude interceptor, the F-4 (F4H) Phantom II quickly demonstrated that it was a special aircraft, establishing over a dozen world speed, altitude, and time-to-climb records.

F4 phantom cockpit weapons officer