First In – Last Out, Story
of the F-4 Phantom II Wild
Weasel, Part II

[Editor‘s
Note: Part 1 of the Wild Weasel story, covering the early development of
surface-to-air missile suppression appeared in AAHS Journal Vol. 55, No.
3, Fall 2010. Part I covered early trials and tactical deployment of
F-100s and F-105Gs line aircraft converted to support the Wild Weasel
roll. This Part II takes up the story with the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II
development as a SAM suppression system.]

Wild
Weasel IV

Work commenced on the
WWIV EF-4C Phantom II program in January 1966 with the Class 5
Modification Program (No. 1778). This program included the removal of the
AIM-7 Sparrow III AAMs from the forward missile wells and replacement with
an ECM pod (typically the AN/ALQ-119 Noise and Deception ECM pod); and the
installation of the ER-142 ECM receiver. (Anthony Thornborough cites the
initial WWIV-A included the special, long-range IR-133.) This rewiring
modification limited the EF-4C’s ability to carry all available
ordnance. There were four 33 TFW Block 23 F-4Cs assigned to the program:
64-0781, 64-0787, 64-0790, and 64-0815. The WWIV program included a
planned mid-1966 deployment of four aircraft to the combat theater.
However, technical problems (namely the inability to link all of the
antennas together) forestalled this deployment until September 1972. 
WWIV was formalized on June 29, 1966. The Operational Test &
Evaluation (OT&E) work was conducted at Nellis AFB where the EF-4Cs
were assigned to the 4538 FWS/4525 FWW. At some point in time this
training unit was dubbed the "Willie Weasel" college. The 4538
FWS/4525 FWW was replaced in place on October 15, 1969, by the 414 FWS/57
FWW. On October 15, 1971, the 414 FWS passed their inventory of six to 10
F-4C/EF-4Cs to the 66 FWS/57 FWW. One of the limitations discovered during
testing was heavy vibration of the panoramic receiver pod mounted in the
right rear Sparrow III missile well.

The following is a brief
service history for these four aircraft between the years 1966 and 1968:

F-4C 64-0781

• 33 TFW, – ?? (June)
  1966. McAir St. Louis plant for modification, ?? through August 1,
  1966. Undated Mod.

• 1778F involved
  internal avionics installation in place of the EW pod in the missile
  wells. 33 TFW, August 1 through September 2.

• 4525 FWW, Nellis AFB, September 2,
  1966, through . . .