F-4 Phantom / Japanese Air ForceJapan selected the F 4 Phantom II as its new fighter at the end of the 1960s. On 1 November 1968 this choice was made public and Japan became one of the few countries that license produced this aircraft. The Nihon Koku Jietai (Japan Air Self Defense Force, JASDF) received a total of 154 F 4EJ and RF 4Es. While the F 4EJs were built almost entirely by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the RF 4Es were bought directly from McDonnell Douglas.[38] Due to