F-4 Phantom With Three 20mm SUU-16/A Gun Pods

“Fixing” The F-4

This short clip taken from a McDonnell Douglas Corporation promotional film shows the versatility of their F-4 Phantom fighter/bomber. You can access the full film by clicking this link that redirects to the Australian War Memorial. 

The video shows an F-4 fitted with three 20mm SUU-16/A gun pods. These gun pods were developed for high-speed fighters who lacked a main gun – the perfect choice for the F-4 Phantom. One pod has a single M61A1 Vulcan 20mm gun and 1,200 rounds of ammunition firing at a rate of about 6,000 rpm.

F-4 Phantoms would oftentimes use these gun pods for ground targets only as it was inaccurate for air-to-air engagements. In some instances, some F-4s can even carry five of these, like the one below. 

What a sight to behold!