David Gledhill, who was a navigator on the Phantom at RAF Wildenrath during the Cold War, recalls the type’s operations – and how it would have been used had things turned hot.

A pair of 92 Sqn Phantoms over West Germany in 1987. The two squadrons at RAF Wildenrath were assigned to NATO’s 2ATAF in the air defence role.
Peter R Foster
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II served at RAF Wildenrath in West Germany in the air defence role and was a massive increase in capability over the English Electric Lightning it eventually replaced.