Marine Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron-3 Marine Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 3 (VMFP-3) was activated on July 1, 1975 as part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. The squadron was deactivated on September 30, 1990. Overseas detachments, in addition to supporting FMF operations, continued the 7th fleet support started by VMCJ-1 in 1974. RF-4Bs were permanently deployed aboard the USS Midway until 1984. The mission of the VMFP-3 was replaced by the Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System carried by the F/A-18D Hornet aircraft. VMFP-3 "Eyes of the Corps" (Code RF) Flew: RF-4B 3rd MAW, El Toro, Ca. July 1975 - Sept. 1990 USS Midway, 1975 - 1984 Squadron Deactivated 10 August 1990 After the Navy chose Vought's F8U Crusader in a competitive bid for a new supersonic air superiority fighter, McDonnell Aircraft Company initiated a company-funded project in 1952 to produce a carrier-based fighter-bomber as a replacement for its F3H Demon. The outcome was the single-seat, multi-role AH-1 aircraft with a top speed of Mach 1.5. After the purchase of two AH-1 prototypes in 1954, Navy specifications were revised as the sea service sought a high-altitude interceptor to meet the tactical requirement of defending carriers by launching long-range missiles against attacking Soviet bombers in the event of an escalation of the Cold War at sea. Among the modifications was provisions for a two-man crew consisting of a pilot and a Radar Intercept Officer, fitting for the Sparrow III guided-missile weapons system, and installation of two General Electric J-79 engines, each with 17,000 lb. static thrust, that made the aircraft capable of speeds exceeding Mach 2. The combined thrust of the two engines in afterburner gave the aircraft a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one, which meant that it could climb vertically after take-off. The aircraft designation subsequently changed to F4H-1 (redesignated F-4 in 1962) and, in honor of McDonnell's first jet design, it received the name Phantom II. The new aircraft's maiden flight occurred in 1958 with deliveries to Navy and Marine Corps squadrons beginning in 1960. Its performance and versatility eventually attracted the interest of not only the U.S. Air Force, but also the air forces of ten foreign nations, making it one of the most widely-employed aircraft in the history of aviation.. The Phantom II quickly demonstrated that it was a special aircraft, establishing 12 world speed, altitude, and time-to-climb records in the space of just twenty-eight months, the pilots on some of these flights including future astronauts John Young and Richard Gordon. The escalation of the war in Vietnam thrust the F-4 into a tactical environment for which it was not originally designed, including air-to-air dogfights and an increased strike role. To this end, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force F-4s flew as high and low altitude bombers delivering a wide array of ordnance, their air-to-air kills totaling 107 enemy aircraft. Thirty-six of these kills were scored by Navy and Marine Corps pilots, including five by Lieutenant Randall H. Cunningham and Lieutenant (junior grade) William Driscoll, the first aces of the Vietnam War. Under the designation, RF-4, Phantom IIs also served in the photoreconnaissance role. McDonnell Douglas received orders for the first RF-4B in February 1963. Differing from the fighter version of the Phantom in a 4 ft., 8 7/8 in. longer nose that housed forward- and side-oblique cameras, the aircraft also featured photoflash cartridges for night photography, an improvement over the RF-8A Crusader. Film could be developed in flight and ejected at low altitude for quick delivery to ground commanders. All told, the company produced forty-six RF-4Bs (of which the museum's aircraft was forty-fourth), with all of them going to the Marine Corps beginning in 1965. The first RF-4Bs arrived in Vietnam in October 1966, equipping Marine Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (VMCJ) 1 at Da Nang. All told, five of them were lost, including tow that crash-landed and three that were shot down by hostile fire. The Marine Corps retired its last RF-4s in 1990, while the Air National Guard retired the last U.S. Air Force RF-4s in 1994. Prior to their retirement, Air Force RF-4s flew combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. Recommended Screen Resolution 1024 x 768 Enable pop-ups to fully enjoy this site. This website is not affiliated with the U.S. Government or the United States Marine Corps in any way. This website is a copyright and the property of the Phabulous Phantom Productions and the information and photos gathered for this website are intended for the purpose of providing un-official information and entertainment for those interested in the history of Marine Corps RF-4B Squadrons and the RF-4B Phantom II aircraft.