26/03/2026
March 26, 1996 — The End of the Air Force Phantom Era
On this day, the last active-duty, combat-coded F-4 Phantom II aircraft departed Nellis Air Force Base en route to storage at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group.
These aircraft were flown by the 561st Fighter Squadron—the final operational Wild Weasel unit in the United States Air Force.
The F-4G Wild Weasel played a critical role in Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), a mission that required aircrews to deliberately expose themselves to enemy radar and surface-to-air missile systems in order to locate and destroy them.
From the skies over Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War to combat operations in Operation Desert Storm, and later enforcement missions over Iraq during Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch, the Phantom remained a key part of the fight well into the 1990s.
By March 1996, the mission continued—but the aircraft had reached the end of its operational service. The F-16CJ Fighting Falcon would assume the Wild Weasel role, bringing with it a new generation of technology and capability.
The departure of the last F-4s from Nellis marked more than a transition in aircraft. It closed a chapter that began in the early 1960s—one defined by innovation, adaptability, and the courage of the aircrews and maintainers who supported one of the most demanding missions in aerial warfare.
Today, we remember the aircraft—and more importantly, the people—who carried the Wild Weasel mission forward for over three decades.
