Developed exclusively for the German Luftwaffe, the F-4F Early was intended to be a cheaper and lighter version of the F-4E. At the time, Germany considered alternative fighters such as a single-seat version of the F-4 and the Mirage F1, but ultimately chose the regular two-seater Phantom for budget reasons. To keep costs down, the ability to employ the Sparrow missile was removed, the number 7 fuel tank (the rearmost tank) was eliminated, and further modifications were made to reduce weight and expense. Ultimately, the F-4F Early was around 3,300 pounds (1,496 kg) lighter than a standard F-4E, and deliveries began in late 1973.

Introduced during Update "Ixwa Strike" as a reward for the Future Technology event, the German F-4F Early is one of the lowest BR Phantoms in the game, second only to the F-4C Phantom. The F-4F Early has significant improvements over the F-4C, such as an internal gun and access to AIM-9Js. However, it also lacks the ability to use guided weapons like Bullpups or Mavericks, due to the removal of those systems in real life.