PHANTOMS Of The West

In the historic region of Elis, Western Greece, 338 MDV Fighter-Bomber Squadron of the 117th Combat Wing soldiers on with the mighty F-4E Phantom II at Andravida. Chris Melaisi visited the base earlier this year to watch daily flying operations at the European Phantom Conference:

After 50 years of operational flying with the aircraft, 338 MDV is now the final F-4 Phantom squadron in the Hellenic Air Force. Over the years, the F-4 has seen various upgrades to keep it current and reliable against third-generation fighter-bombers. The most notable modernisation occurred in the early 2000s when all current flying aircraft were upgraded to Avionics Upgrade Package (AUP) standard, hence the aircraft’s current designation in Hellenic service as a McDonnell Douglas F-4E AUP Phantom II. There are approximately eight to ten active aircraft left at Andravida, despite this small number, all are well maintained and can be seen flying daily, with sorties between two to four times per day. Each one consists of at least two aircraft where various flying tactics are performed, depending on the needs of the squadron. This can include basic formation flying and handling, air-ground attack sorties and air-to-air tactics. Low navigation flying is also carried out over the sea and in the nearby Peloponnese Mountain range. In early 2025 it was announced that plans to fully upgrade Andravida for the future arrival of the Lockheed Martin F-35 would be advanced, with work at the base due for completion by 2028. As a result, the future of the Phantom and its time in Greece is now very limited.

Although entering the final stages of their career with the Hellenic Air Force, heavy maintenance is still carried out to keep the Phantom fleet active. Here 01504 is undergoing a heavy check where every component has been stripped down for observation and maintenance

A rare look at daily maintenance activities and an insight on the huge effort it takes to keep the old fighter active and ready for daily flying. Here, one of the of F4’s General Electric J79-GE-17 can be seen in the engine overhaul facility at Andravida.

< Some early morning light hits this Hellenic McDonnell Douglas F-4E AUP Phantom II 71745 as it taxis out for a sortie as ‘ARES1’

‘ARES’ is seen rolling to the ‘last chance’ area ahead of a low level navigation flight in the local area. McDonnell Douglas F-4E AUP Phantom II 01501 was delivered in 1974

F-4E AUP Phantom’s 01501 and 01503 are seen sitting at ‘last chance’ before entering the active for departure. Ground crew perform final exterior checks while aircrew perform their final checks in the cockpit. 01503 sports a battered looking tailfin and is the last aircraft in the fleet with old model J79 engines which produce excessive amounts of smoke

A 338 MDV crew take F-4E 01520 into the air on a local sortie as part of a four-ship formation. A lightning pod is carried by most jets for various missions

‘ARES3’ getting airborne for an afternoon mission. F-4E AUP Phantom II 01520 was delivered new to Greece from the USA in August 1974

In 2024, 338 Squadron celebrated 50 years of Phantom flying (1974-2024). To honour this, Phantom 71744 was painted in this special scheme to mark the anniversary.  

Low navigation flying is an essential part of the squadron’s daily training and flying tactics. From speaking with some 338 MDV pilots, the author learned that the Phantom is very capable in low flying operations and is a ‘solid’ platform when navigating the nearby valley’s of the Peloponnese mountain range. Other local Hellenic squadron’s also visit the area for training purposes and the range see’s regular flying from F-16’s, Mirage 2000 and M346, as well as the Andravida F-4’s.

‘ARES’ Dusk Ops

An undoubted highlight of the visit to Andravida was observing both the ground and air crews prepare the mighty Phantom for evening flight ops. Watching and listening to the F-4E’s J79’s start-up barely 10 meters in front of you in creamy Mediterranean light won’t be forgotten!

A trio of Phantoms await their crew for a late evening sortie. Night flying is an essential part of 338 Squadron pilot training and is performed weekly

Resting after another day of flying in Western Greece. The Phantom continues operating like any other modern day fighter, it’s just that little bit more special.