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BAe QF-4 (McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II)

1997 MODERN AIRCRAFT DRONE TECHNOLOGY

History

The QF-4 is a full-scale drone version of the successful Cold War-era F-4 Phantom II aircraft. The QF-4 is operated out of Tyndall AFB by the 82nd Air Targeting Squadron at Elgin AFB, Florida (itself part of the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, 53rd Wing at Elgin AFB, Florida).

UAVs are used for a variety of reasons, and these QF-4s are engaged in various countermeasures to explore various weapons and tactical maneuvers.

The QF-4 UAV entered service in 1997 as a modified F-4 Phantom II variant. It is a remote-controlled air target with the advantage of being reusable. Remote control can be performed by a pilot at a nearby ground control station or fully computer controlled via the Gulf Range UAV Control System. In any case, as a precaution, a tracking plan is used during practice.

Other precautions include the use of internally stored explosives on the QF-4. If the system becomes unstable or unresponsive, ground forces can directly destroy an out-of-control unit if necessary. The exercises will only be conducted on water sources deemed available for the U.S. drone program.

The QF-4 drone is basically a fully functional improved model of its F-4 ancestor. The original McDonnell aircraft was modified by BAE Systems for $2. 6 million per system conversion.

The fuselage retains all the obvious similarities to the previous one, and internal systems such as the General Electric turbojet (with reheat capability) are taken into account. Performance specs include a top speed of Mach 2, a range of 1,300 miles and a service ceiling of 60,000 feet.

The QF-4 replaces the QF-106 (based on the USAF F-106 aircraft) in the USAF list of drones. At the time of writing (2008), there are 86 QF-4 UAVs in service. As of 2013, a total of 250 QF-4 drones have been shot down.

The QF-4 series has been replaced by the QF-16, a target drone variant of the popular and successful Lockheed Martin/General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon (2015). The official replacement of the QF-4 UAV is expected in 2015.