F-4F KWS LV (Germany)

This page is about the German jet fighter F-4F KWS LV (Germany). For other versions, see F-4 Phantom II (Family).

◄F-4F KWS LV

◄F-4F

◄F-4F KWS LV

◄F-4F

Germany

VIII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
13.0	13.0	13.0

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Research:420 000

Purchase:1 120 000

Show in game

Description

The ◄F-4F KWS LV (ICE) Phantom II is a rank VIII German jet fighter with a battle rating of 13.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Seek & Destroy".

While being the ultimate Phantom in the game in terms of armament, it also occupies the highest BR for a Phantom, at 13.3. A regular matchmaker for this aircraft will include uptiers to 13.7 with aircraft that are superior in almost every metric possible. As a result of having some of the worst flight performance at top tier (second only to the Tornado F.3 Late), the F-4F KWS is not a frontline fighter, rather a support aircraft that remains in the sidelines, striking on foes that are in previous combat engagements.

General info

Flight performance

Arrestor gear

Accelerates braking by grabbing the brake cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 12 192 m2 140 km/h

Turn time26 s

Max altitude16 000 m

Engine2 х MTU Aero Engines J79-MTU-17A

TypeJet

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight24 t

Being a Phantom at top tier, it has very few attributes that it can use to it's benefit. It cannot accelerate as fast as the fourth generation aircraft it often finds itself engaging with, its top speed is dwarfed by all other aircraft it meets, and it loses speed in turns quite quickly. However, it does receive the second generation of Agile Eagle slats, making it turn deceptively well before it loses all of it's airspeed.

Characteristics	Max speed (km/h at 12,192 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	2,058	2,015	16000	28.3	28.3	162.7	153.0	850
Upgraded	___	___		__._	__._	__._	__._

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
_	_	_	_	_	_

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1458	463	___	___	___	~__	~__

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< ___	< ___	< ___	-

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
MTU Aero Engines J79-MTU-17A		2	14,375 kg		398 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)			Max Gross Weight
Weight (each)	Type		8m fuel	20m fuel	27m fuel
1,724 kg	Afterburning axial-flow turbojet		15,941 kg	18,196 kg	19,595 kg	24,471 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
Condition	100%	WEP	8m fuel	20m fuel	27m fuel	MGW
Stationary	5,200 kgf	8,008 kgf	1.00	0.88	0.82	0.65
Optimal	5,200 kgf (0 km/h)	10,170 kgf (1,400 km/h)	1.28	1.12	1.04	0.83

Survivability and armour

Flares/Chaff

Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar

Crew2 people

Speed of destruction

Structural1 458 km/h

Gear463 km/h

As with every other top tier aircraft, the F-4F KWS LV has no significant amount of armor. With that being said, given the sturdiness of the Phantom airframe, it can usually tank a few rounds of other aircraft's cannons to the fuselage before sustaining fatal damage. Said damage will almost always require a withdrawal from combat and a hasty return to base, if the aircraft can get there. Also in line with Phantom flight model fashion, any damage to the wing tips will almost always prove fatal, sending the aircraft into an irrecoverable flat spin.

The F-4F KWS LV does suffer from the missile meta worse than most, given that it lacks the quantity of countermeasures compared to other fighters it faces. As a result, whenever a pilot finds themselves being fired upon by an ARH, there is little they can do if they are not close to the deck or are otherwise able to defeat a missile through notching.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 303 → 4 462

RB9 503 → 12 838

SB11 200 → 15 131

Total cost of modifications336 000

510 000

Talisman cost3 300

Crew training320 000

Experts1 120 000

Aces3 800

Research Aces1 430 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

90 / 320 / 500 %

262 / 262 / 262 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 430 New boosters Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 470 Wings repair Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 630 Engine Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 670	Fuselage repair Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 430 Airframe Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 470 Cover Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 670	Flares/Chaff Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 430 Mk82 Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 430 M60_belt_pack Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 430 LAU-3/A Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 430 M117 Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 470 M60_new_gun Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 470 LAU-10/A Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 470 AIM-9L/I Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 470 G-suit Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 630 Mk83 Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 630 Gun pod SUU-23/A. Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 630 Gun pod SUU-23/A. Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 630 40px AGM-65D Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 630 Mk84 Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 670 Mk118 Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 670 40px AGM-65G Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 670 AIM-120A Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 670

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)	CCRP (Bombs)	EEGS

Offensive armament

The F-4F KWS LV (Germany) is armed with:

• 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, nose-mounted (640 rpg)
• 30 x large caliber countermeasures
• 60 x countermeasures

Suspended armament

The F-4F KWS LV (Germany) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
20 mm GAU-4 cannons (1,200 rpg)	1										1
250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs	6	3				6				3	6
500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs	6	3				6				3	6
500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs	6	3				6				3	6
750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs	3	3				5				3	3
1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs	2	3				3				3	2
2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs	1					1					1
3,000 lb M118 bombs						1
BLU-27/B incendiary bombs	1					2					1
FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets	57	57				57				57	57
Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets	12	12				12				12	12
AGM-65D missiles		1								1
AGM-65G missiles		1								1
AIM-9L/I Sidewinder missiles			1, 2						1, 2
AIM-120A missiles				1	1		1	1
600 gal drop tanks						1

Default weapon presets

1 x 600 gal drop tank 2 x 20 mm GAU-4 cannons (1,200 rpg = 2,400 total) 2 x AIM-9L/I Sidewinder missiles 4 x AIM-9L/I Sidewinder missiles 4 x AIM-120A missiles 24 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (6,000 lb total) 24 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (12,000 lb total) 24 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (12,000 lb total) 17 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (12,750 lb total) 4 x BLU-27/B incendiary bombs 13 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (13,000 lb total) 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total) 1 x 3,000 lb M118 bomb (3,000 lb total) 285 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets 60 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets 2 x AGM-65D missiles 2 x AGM-65G missiles

Usage in battles

The F-4F KWS LV is outperformed in every metric compared to the aircraft it faces. It does not have the top speed of the Su-27s or F-16s, it does not have the acceleration of the F-15s, it does not have the dogfighting capability of the JAS 39s, and it lacks the quantity of countermeasures that make quality of life good for a top tier match. As a result, the F-4F KWS LV must be played passively at the start of the game, sticking 5-10km behind the front line fighters, launching AIM-120s and turning cold. If engaged, do not attempt to bleed speed, as enemy aircrafts can bleed speed faster, though it does leave them fairly indefensible. Instead, if engaged, move towards remaining allies and call for help.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Gets access to AIM-120A and AIM-9L/I missiles
• Potent radar
• Good RWR
• Decent air-to-ground payload

Cons:

• Third-generation aircraft which almost only fights fourth-generation aircraft
• Only gets access to 90 countermeasures
• Poor handling
• Bad acceleration
• Inferior top speed compared to other aircraft
• No HMD
• Gets outclassed by every other plane it can face
• Pure CAS loadout reduces flight performance
• Stock loadout very limited

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Devblog

In the early 1980s, the Luftwaffe initiated a program to improve the combat effectiveness of the F-4F Phantom II then representing Germany's spearhead in air defense. Being launched due to delays in the development of what would eventually become the Eurofighter Typhoon, the F-4F ICE as it became known, was intended to fill this gap until the more advanced aircraft became available. The main goal of the ICE program was to extend the service life of the F-4F by modernizing its avionics and electronic equipment as well as upgrading its radar to enable the aircraft to carry the powerful AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.

The upgrade process began in October 1988 and was carried out in several stages. The first finalized aircraft under the new program were commissioned in the early 1990s. The F-4F KWS LV (ICE) would then continue its service with the Luftwaffe until 2013 before it was ultimately phased out in favor of its successor, the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] F-4F KWS LV (ICE): Arch-Phantom!

McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
Jet Fighters	F2H-2 · F3H-2
	F-4C Phantom II · F-4E Phantom II · F-4J Phantom II · F-4S Phantom II
	F-15A · F-15C MSIP II · F-15E
Strike Aircraft	AV-8B Plus · AV-8B (NA)
Helicopters	AH-6M
Export/Licensed
Aircraft	◄F-4F Early · ◄F-4F · ◄F-4F KWS LV · Phantom FG.1 · Phantom FGR.2 · F-4J(UK) Phantom II · F-4EJ Phantom II · F-4EJ ADTW · Kurnass · Kurnass 2000
	F-15J · F-15J(M) · Baz · Baz Meshupar · F-15I Ra’am
	▄AV-8B Plus
Helicopters	Lahatut
	The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation merged with Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Later it was merged with The Boeing Company in 1997.
See Also	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries