Israel Flying Upgraded Version of Phantom Jet
The Israeli air force took delivery Sunday of its first Phantom 2000, an upgraded version of the U.S. F-4 jet that was the backbone of U.S. air power in the Vietnam War. Israel says the Phantom 2000 will be its key attack aircraft into the 21st Century.
A spokesman for Israel Aircraft Industries, which refurbished the plane, said the twin-engine Phantom 2000 has the same air-to-air combat capabilities as the original model but has greatly improved strike power and protection against ground fire for low-level attack missions.
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