An era must end in South Korean Air Force (ROKAF) in the coming weeks, with the retirement of F-4E Phantom II jets. The veteran fighter planes carried out their last missile and bomb launch before retirement. 

During an exercise, held last Thursday (18) at a live firing range near the Yellow Sea, South Korean F-4s dropped 30 82-pound Mk.500 bombs and fired AGM-142 Popeye missiles. The event also marked the last shots of the Popeye missiles, as the Phantoms are the only ROKAF aircraft capable of employing this weaponry. 

The first F-4s landed in South Korea in the mid-1960s and now the country is finally retiring the jets, which have been in operation for nearly 55 years. About 24 planes remain in service with Suwon Air Base's 153rd Fighter Squadron. The fighters' retirement ceremony is scheduled for June 08, according to the Air & Space Forces Magazine.

ROKAF is among the largest operators of the famous North American jet, having received around 220 planes over more than five decades of activity with F-4D and E fighters. Now the Phantoms are giving definitive space to more modern models, such as the F-15K Slam Eagle, KF-16 Fighting Falcon, the stealth F-35 and in the project KF-21 Boramae. The latter will also replace another veteran still in operation with the ROKAF, the F-5E/F Tiger II. 

The F-4 Phantom II first flew in 1958, initially developed as an interceptor for the United States Navy. An icon of the Vietnam War, the model ended up evolving into a fighter-bomber, capable of carrying out aerial combat and ground attack activities; it was also adapted for reconnaissance (RF-4) and electronic warfare (F-4G) missions.

More than 5000 F-4 Phantoms were manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) until production ended in 1981. Twelve countries acquired the F-4 in various variants, but only four still operate it: Iran, Turkey, Greece and Greece itself. South Korea. Find out more about the last strongholds of this legendary jet in this special Aeroflap article.