Maj. Phil Handley achieves historic supersonic gun kill

During the Vietnam War, on June 2, 1972, a remarkable aerial engagement occurred northeast of Hanoi, Vietnam, involving a U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantom II pilot named Maj. Phil Handley. Leading a formation of F-4Es in a combat air patrol, his squadron encountered two enemy MiG-19s. After exhausting all of his AIM-7 and AIM-4 missiles without success, Maj. Handley resorted to using the aircraft's cannon, successfully destroying one of the MiG-19s with a three-second burst from his 20mm M-61 Gatling gun. This event marked a significant moment in aerial combat history, as it resulted in the only confirmed supersonic air-to-air gun kill ever recorded. The context of this engagement lies in the shifting philosophies surrounding aerial weaponry. While some modern airpower analysts deem guns, especially cannons, as outdated with the rise of fighter jets capable of stealth and supersonic speeds, others believe in their continued necessity. Notably, China’s Chengdu J-20 fighter is designed without a cannon, but U.S. models such as the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II still incorporate them. This reveals a persistent belief in better having a weapon that might not be needed than the opposite. The situation surrounding the gun kill was emblematic of the early challenges faced by the F-4 Phantom, which initially lacked an onboard gun. This oversight pushed pilot training and naval tactics to evolve rapidly in the face of air-to-air combat necessities. Maj. Handley's success underscores the importance of versatility in fighter aircraft and the creativity required from pilots during intense engagements. Sadly, Col. Philip Winston Handley passed away on March 1, 2019, at the age of 83. His legacy lives on not only through his extraordinary feat of aerial combat but also through the discussions it generates about the evolution of air superiority and the role of traditional weaponry in modern warfare.