'Go Home': F-22 Raptor Fighter Flyed Under Iranian F-4 Phantom Undetected

What you need to know: In 2013, two Iranian F-4 Phantom II fighters deployed to intercept a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone were surprised when a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor approached undetected and fell under one of the Phantoms flew through before asking them to retreat.

-While the incident highlighted the stealth of the F-22, experts noted that Iranian pilots flying Vietnam War-era jets were outgunned from the start.

-The event was widely discussed online, but it is important to remember the significant technological gap between the aging F-4s and the advanced fifth-generation F-22s.

F-22 Raptor vs. Iran's F-4 Phantom: The real story behind the 2013 incident

A widely repeated story that continues to make the rounds online tells how, a decade ago, two Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantom IIs – fighters that had been in service since the 1960s – were used to take down a US MQ-1. Luftwaffe intercept Predator drone and then surprised by an F-22 Raptor.

The much-hyped story is, to put it bluntly, much ado about nothing.

The incident came after two Iranian Sukhoi Su-25s attempted to shoot down another Predator several months earlier. The Islamic Republic's Soviet-designed fighters, designed for close air support rather than air superiority, failed in their mission. Even more embarrassing for Tehran was the fact that the drone recorded the entire incident on its cameras.

Those Iranians in the F-4 Phantom IIs probably thought they would have much better luck.

Little did they know that the Predator was escorted by two F-22s.

To say that the F-4 aircraft were superior is an understatement – but according to most reports of this incident, the Iranians were completely unaware of the presence of the fifth-generation fighters. One of the Raptors even flew under the Iranian aircraft, confirmed the F-4's armament, then pulled up to its left wing and made its presence known by radioing to the Iranians, “You should really go home.”

F-22 Raptor and F-4: The Internet loves history

This is hardly a “secret” incident – ​​it has been written about dozens (perhaps hundreds) of times.

It has been compared to the opening sequence of the original 1986 film Top Gun, in which Tom Cruise's Maverick flies over an enemy MiG-28 (a fictional aircraft), surprising the enemy.

The F-4 incident was even described as “Maverick-ed,” as if it were some kind of magical move. In fact, this is a point that has been suggested repeatedly.

Start the ticker parade, toast these pilots as America's greatest heroes, and give the big middle finger to Tehran while chanting “USA, USA, USA.”

The National Interest's Eli Fuhrman previously reported: “The incident demonstrates the impressive stealth capabilities of the Raptor, which was able to approach the two Iranian fighters undetected and scout their arsenals before scaring them off.”

But we shouldn't have expected anything less.

Goliath versus David

Did this mission really demonstrate the F-22's “impressive stealth characteristics” – especially since these Iranian pilots were flying an aircraft that was probably as old as their parents? Airplanes that Tehran was barely able to keep in the air.

Harrison Kass explained: “The Iranians flying Vietnam War-era F-4 Phantoms were ill-equipped for an F-22. Granted, the F-4 was a powerful airframe – the most produced American supersonic military aircraft of all time – but it first flew in 1958. The F-22, on the other hand, was a modern, 21st century marvel.”

And while Iran has some good pilots, the U.S. Air Force arguably has the best in the world. To use a term from President Barack Obama, it appears that the U.S. pilots in the most advanced aircraft are simply pitted against the “JV team” operating outdated equipment.

Putting it in perspective

The cockpits of most jet fighters can be described as cramped even at the best of times, and during development of the F-4 there were reports of complaints that some found the cockpit almost claustrophobic. Additionally, no two-seat aircraft can be said to provide the best visibility from the cockpit, while reports suggest that most fighter pilots use clearance turns during descent to ensure there is no traffic below them.

In other words, from the cockpit of an F-4, it would be impossible to see any aircraft approaching from below, and the Iranian airmen were likely focused on the MQ-1 Predator drone when the F-22s snuck in.

Consider the blind spots in modern cars, and it's far worse in airplanes.

David Ax, writing for Wired in 2013, explained that even the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II had a serious blind spot directly behind the plane – one that, he warned, could lead to it being shot down. Since the F-4 is a much older technology, the blind spot is almost identical and possibly even worse.

In addition, the F-4 was not designed for dogfighting. If an enemy can get that close, that would be a problem.

Kass also noted, “The Phantom was not particularly maneuverable. Enemy MiGs could usually outperform the F-4, which was not designed for air combat and suffered from adverse yaw in tight turns. Instead, the F-4 was intended for firing radar-guided missiles from beyond visual range, not engaging in air combat maneuvers.

Conclusions

The F-22s probably gave the Iranian pilot quite a scare all those years ago. And although the story has been told over and over again, we only know the official US Air Force version. Tehran has remained silent and, according to published reports, has not even acknowledged that this has happened.

This doesn't underscore the fact that the F-22 Raptor could sneak up on an F-4 undetected, but a more significant story would be if an aging Ukrainian-flown F-4 did the same to a Russian Su-57 (possibly even shoot it down).

In other words, there seems to be a lot of bragging about the fact that the US aircraft, described as the absolute best air superiority aircraft in service, was able to successfully and unnoticed fly past another 1960s aircraft.

We shouldn't be surprised or excited; We should have expected this result. Since the F-22 is also the most expensive fighter ever built, we would have to be disappointed if it could not have carried out such a mission.

Author's experience and expertise:

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based author. Over his twenty-year career as a journalist, he has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with over 3,200 published stories. He writes regularly about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics and international affairs. Peter is also a writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

All images are Creative Commons.