BAE Systems successfully converted its 300th F-4 Phantom fighter jet into an unmanned flying drone for the US Air Force. The achievement is a significant milestone in the 16-year-long QF-4 programme, which provides full-scale, remotely-controlled aerial targets that the Air Force uses for weapons testing and aircraft training.

The QF-4 work is conducted at BAE Systems’ 11,500-square-metre hangar in Mojave, California. Approximately 100 employees provide a range of services to transform decommissioned F-4s into QF-4s, a complex process that typically takes about six months. Depending on the condition of the F-4s, the services may include systems engineering and integration; electrical, mechanical, and software engineering; and various types of structural alterations.

“Our proven performance on this programme exemplifies our global capabilities to upgrade and modify aircraft,” said Gordon Eldridge, Vice President and General Manager of Aerospace Solutions at BAE Systems. “We have been the sole provider of QF-4s for the Air Force since 1996. Congratulations to the entire Mojave team, which now has more than 35 years of combined experience and a solid track record of success.”

There are 14 more QF-4s scheduled for delivery by the middle of 2013.