The Fastest Military Jets in History

F-4 Phantom II

This is the first active duty aircraft to be painted at the Iowa facility. The F-4 was the workhorse fighter bomber for both the Air Force and the Navy during the Vietnam War, primarily providing close air support.

Two seats, two engines, and a notorious reputation for wrecking air records, the F-4 Phantom II is when the United States began to take a heavy interest in not just outrunning the competition in the air, but dog-fighting them, too. First officially introduced in 1960, the last F-4 Phantom II was only recently retired in 2013. This shows how reliable and dependable this fast-moving Mach 2+ fighter-bomber was. As one of the fastest jets ever made, it held its own over the rough jungles of Vietnam and served well into more contemporary conflicts as a trusted high-performance aircraft.

Because this was the second generation of jet fighters produced by the United States, the F-4s wasted little time getting sent to the front lines. There they proved to be a hearty breed of fast-moving jet fighters that could bring much needed close air support to ground forces and still go toe-to-toe with the Soviet’s MiGs. Pilots complained the F-4 could be a little boxy, earning it one of many nicknames as the “Flying Footlocker”; however, it became a trusted name in aerospace history. The F-4 Phantom II holds quite a few records, including being the aircraft of the last American ace in 1972. These Phantoms saw their official retirement from the USAF in 1996 after a long history in the Idaho Air National Guard.

• Top Speed: 1,472 mph
• Max Flight Distance: 1,615 miles with internal fuel