Final QF-4 Phantom Target Drone Flight survives two AMRAAMs from F-35

QF-4, last of the converted F-4 Phantom IIs,
targeted by F-35 Lightening II with two AMRAAMs

QF-4 Phantom Flies Final Unmanned Mission | at DefenceTalk
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE: The QF-4 Phantom flew its final unmanned mission in the skies above White Sands Missile Range on August 17.

During the flight, the unmanned aircraft served its primary mission as an aerial target and was shot at by an F-35 Lightning II from Edwards Air Force Base, California.

“Our mission is to provide those airplanes as targets for our Department of Defense and foreign military sales customers to test the next generation of weapons,” said Lt. Col. Ronald King, the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, Detachment 1 commander. “Sometimes, that is a missile, sometimes a surface-to-air missile. For the final unmanned flight, we flew in support of an F-35 mission.”

This flight served as the final unmanned mission before the QF-4 program ends later this year, and the 82nd ATRS, Det. 1 transitions to flying QF-16s.

“The QF-4 has been flying for about 15 years, and it has been instrumental in testing next-generation weapons and radar systems,” said King. “We’ll continue to fly them as manned aircraft until the end of the program, which is through December, but this is the last time we are flying it unmanned before we transition to the QF-16.”

Read more: http://www.defencetalk.com/qf-4-phantom-flies-final-unmanned-mission-68084/#ixzz4JPtAo5XM

Phantom flies final unmanned mission > Holloman Air Force Base 

The Aviationist » USAF QF-4 Phantom is shot at by an F-35 with two AIM-120s during last unmanned mission (and survives)
According to Lt. Col. Ronald King, the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, Detachment 1 commander, the aircraft was shot at by the F-35 Lightning II with two AIM-120 AMRAAMs (advanced medium range air-to-air missiles). We don’t know the exact scope of the weapon test, the RoE (Rules Of Enagement), the scenario and whether the QF-4 was expected to escape the downing. Maybe something went wrong, the missile launch failed or was cancelled, or just missed (because no missile has a probability of kill of 100 percent). However, it’s at least worth of note that the unmanned Phantom landed back at Holloman Air Force Base completely unharmed in spite of being targeted by the (controversial) 5th generation fighter and shot at with 2 radar-guided air-to-air missiles.
Update 1:
The reason for the QF-4 not being shot down is probably that the test was not a test of the AIM-120 missile’s ability to hit a target (something that has been proved in the past) but on the F-35’s ability to track the target and guide the AMRAAM until this reached the kill envelope. Once the missile starts self-guiding to the drone the test is accomplished and there is no need to waste a costy unmanned aircraft: the AIM-120 is directed to self-destruct before impact.


Last of the legendary U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantom jets to become yet another missile victim
The following video shows practical application of QF-4 in training of the Air National Guard:
In the video we can see two F-15 jets shooting at the targets – the QF-4 Phantoms. To simulate the aerial combat with the highest possible fidelity the targets are equipped with the whole array of countermeasures (chaffs and flares) and may be flown remotely (when serving as a target) or with a pilot in cockpit (Heritage flights, maintenance). When unmanned, the QF-4 also carries an explosive device for self-destruct purpose in case it becomes uncontrollable.



Even if most modern air forces are equipped with more advanced fighter planes, the F-4 is still comparable if not superior to many enemy aircraft U.S. fighter could face in case of war….