McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II

West Germany ordered 175 F-4Fs on 24 June 1971, making it the Phantom's largest export customer. The F-4F was a simplified late-model F-4E, about 1,500 kg lighter: it lacked the rear fuselage fuel tank, the ram-air turbine and, originally, the radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow, but kept the internal cannon and gained leading-edge slats. It first flew on 18 March 1973, and deliveries ran from 1973 to 1976.

From 1983 the fleet was progressively modernised. Under the ICE (Improved Combat Efficiency) programme, 110 aircraft received the Hughes AN/APG-65 radar and AIM-120 AMRAAM capability, entering service from 1992 — giving the Luftwaffe a beyond-visual-range fighter long before the Eurofighter arrived.

The F-4F was finally retired on 29 June 2013, after some 279,000 flying hours since 31 August 1973; the last units were Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen" at Wittmund and the WTD 61 test centre at Manching. JG 71 marked the occasion with a farewell event and special colour schemes.