The F-4E Phantom II entered U.S. Air Force service in 1965 as a versatile air superiority and ground-attack fighter. It featured an internal M61 Vulcan cannon (a first for USAF Phantoms) and could carry a wide range of bombs and missiles. The F-4E saw extensive combat in Vietnam, later serving in the Middle East, Europe, and Korea, and remained in frontline service until the 1990s, when it was gradually replaced by F-15s, F-16s, and F-117s. Its combination of speed, payload, and multirole capability made it one of the most iconic U.S. fighters of the Cold War.