Farewell QF-4, hello QF-16
The re-use of redundant fighter aircraft to act as full-scale aerial targets (FSAT) has a certain symmetry with the hunter becoming the hunted. In August, the US Air Force conducted its last FSAT mission using a QF-4 target – a modified F-4 Phantom.
Operated by Detachment 1 of 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron (ATRS) from Holloman AFB, the last QF-4 was engaged and destroyed by a F-35 Lightning II from the F-35 Integrated Test Fleet at Edwards AFB.
The QF-4 programme was operated and managed by BAE Systems but as the stock of F-4s dwindled and surplus yet more capable F-16
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