United States Legacy Boeing
F-4E Phantom II
Twin-engine, two-seat supersonic interceptor and fighter-bomber originally built by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) that served as a mainstay of Cold War-era air forces. The E model added an internal cannon and remains in limited service with a handful of upgraded operators.
In service since 1967 · 5 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
2,370
km/h
2,600
km range
18,300
m ceiling
8,480
kg payload
0.86
T/W
Pricing: Out of production; historical program cost only
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Established · 5 operators
In service since 1967. Status: legacy · ~5,195 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the F-4E Phantom II can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 2,370 km/h |
|---|---|
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 2.2 Mach |
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 2,600 km |
| Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range. | 680 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 18,300 m |
| Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up. On a standalone engine record, this is the engine's own thrust divided by its dry weight, the standard figure of merit for jet engines. | 0.86 |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan rotary cannon |
|---|---|
| Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts. | 9 |
| Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie. | 8,480 kg |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers. | chaff, flares |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 19.2 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 11.7 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 5.02 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 13,800 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 20,800 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 2 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | 2x General Electric J79-GE-17A afterburning turbojets |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 2 |
| Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable). | 79 kN |
| Fuel capacity Internal fuel volume. | 7,500 L |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turbojet |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | AN/APQ-120 (upgraded to AN/APG-65 or similar on modernized aircraft) |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 5,195 |
|---|---|
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 5 |
Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
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F-4E Phantom II vs
J-35 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Boeing F-4E Phantom II? +
The Boeing F-4E Phantom II has a maximum speed of 2,370 km/h.
What is the range of the Boeing F-4E Phantom II? +
The Boeing F-4E Phantom II has a maximum range of 2,600 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Boeing F-4E Phantom II? +
The Boeing F-4E Phantom II can carry up to 8,480 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Boeing F-4E Phantom II weigh? +
The Boeing F-4E Phantom II has a combat weight of 20,800 kg.
How many crew does the Boeing F-4E Phantom II require? +
The Boeing F-4E Phantom II requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Boeing F-4E Phantom II? +
The Boeing F-4E Phantom II's primary weapon is the 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan rotary cannon.
What engine does the Boeing F-4E Phantom II use? +
The Boeing F-4E Phantom II is powered by the 2x General Electric J79-GE-17A afterburning turbojets.
What is the Boeing F-4E Phantom II used for? +
The Boeing F-4E Phantom II is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority, close air support, deep strike.
How many countries operate the Boeing F-4E Phantom II? +
The Boeing F-4E Phantom II is operated by 5 countries.
How much does the Boeing F-4E Phantom II cost? +
Boeing F-4E Phantom II: Out of production; historical program cost only. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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