First flown in May 1958, the Phantom II was originally developed for U.S. Navy fleet defense and entered service in 1961. The Air Force evaluated it for close air support, interdiction, and counter-air operations and in 1962 approved the Air Force version. Designated F-4C, it made its first flight on May 27, 1963, and production deliveries began in November 1963. In its air-to-ground role, the F-4 could carry twice the normal bomb load of a World War II B-17, and F-4s also flew reconnaissance and "Wild Weasel" anti-aircraft missile suppression missions. Phantom production ended in 1979 after over 5,000 had been built, including more than 2,600 for the Air Force, about 1,200 for the Navy and Marine Corps, and the rest for friendly foreign nations. In 1965 the first Phantom IIs were sent to southeast Asia, where Col. Robin Olds, a World War II ace, became the first pilot to score four combat victories with F-4s. A typical F-4C armament load consisted of four air-intercept missiles 7E, four AIM 9B air-to-air missiles, eight 750-pound MARK 117 bombs, two external 370-gallon fuel tanks on the outboard pylons, and one ALQ-87 electronic countermeasures pod on the right inboard pylon.