 On 15 August 1990 , 24 F @-@ 4G Wild Weasel Vs and six RF @-@ 4Cs were deployed to Shaikh Isa AB , Bahrain , for Operation Desert Storm . The F @-@ 4G was the only aircraft in the USAF inventory equipped for the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ( SEAD ) role , and was needed to protect coalition aircraft from Iraq 's extensive air defense system . The RF @-@ 4C was the only aircraft equipped with the ultra @-@ long @-@ range KS @-@ 127 <unk> ( long @-@ range oblique photography ) camera , and was used for a variety of reconnaissance missions . In spite of flying almost daily missions , only one RF @-@ 4C was lost in a fatal accident before the start of hostilities . One F @-@ 4G was lost when enemy fire damaged the fuel tanks and the aircraft ran out of fuel near a friendly airbase . The last USAF Phantoms , F @-@ 4G Wild Weasel Vs from <unk> Fighter Squadron , were retired on 26 March 1996 . The last operational flight of the F @-@ 4G Wild Weasel was from the 190th Fighter Squadron , Idaho Air National Guard , in April 1996 . The last operational USAF / ANG F @-@ 4 to land was flown by Maj Mike Webb and Maj Gary Leeder of the Idaho ANG . 
