 Sixteen squadrons of Phantoms were permanently deployed between 1965 and 1973 , and 17 others deployed on temporary combat assignments . Peak numbers of combat F @-@ 4s occurred in 1972 , when 353 were based in Thailand . A total of 445 Air Force Phantom fighter @-@ bombers were lost , 370 in combat and 193 of those over North Vietnam ( 33 to MiGs , 30 to SAMs , and 307 to AAA ) . 
