The article was comparing the overall length F-104 production run, not the total numbers, to the on-going production runs of the F-15 & F-16.
The A-4 was in production from 1954–1979, ... 25 years, so the article was correct.
The F-104 was used in combat in Vietnam....,
USAF F-104 Starfighters losses during the Vietnam War 1965–1967
Date | Model | Unit | Cause of loss/remarks |
---|
29 Jun 1965 | F-104C | 476th TFS | Shot down by enemy ground fire while providing close air support (CAS). |
22 Jul 1965 | F-104C | 436th TFS | Downed by ground fire while on a CAS mission. |
20 Sep 1965 | F-104C | 436th TFS | Downed by PLAN Shenyang J-6 (Chinese-built MiG 19) cannon fire while on a MIGCAP mission. |
20 Sep 1965 | F-104C
F-104C | 436th TFS | Mid-air collision while conducting air search for earlier PLAN-downed F-104C.[81] |
1 Aug 1966 | F-104C | 435th TFS | Downed by SA-2 surface-to-air missile (SAM) while on Operation Iron Hand escort mission. |
1 Aug 1966 | F-104C | 435th TFS | Downed by SA-2 SAM while on Iron Hand escort mission. |
1 Sep 1966 | F-104C | 435th TFS | Downed by anti-aircraft artillery fire (AAA) while on armed reconnaissance mission. |
2 Oct 1966 | F-104C | 435th TFS | Downed by SA-2 SAM at 10,000 feet while on armed reconnaissance mission. |
20 Oct 1966 | F-104C | 435th TFS | Downed by ground fire during armed reconnaissance mission. |
12 Jan 1967 | F-104C | 435th TFS | Operational loss; crashed while landing after a CAP mission. |
16 Jan 1967 | F-104C | 435th TFS | Operational loss; engine failure during a CAP mission. |
28 Jan 1967 | F-104C | 435th TFS | Operational loss; engine failure during a CAP mission. |
14 May 1967 | F-104C | 435th TFS | Operational loss; engine failure during armed reconnaissance mission. |
and in the
Indo-Pakistani Wars and by Taiwan.
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