Use of NVGs in US F4s?

[Gunfreak]

So the F4 has night vision options. But was it ever used by the US?

I've read several books about American pilots who flew the F4 into the 80s. And they never seemed to have used it. The vast majority of American fast jets didn't use them as late as the gulf war or even the Balkans. So I'm guessing the NVGs are for those that continued to use the F4 after the early 90s. Like Germans, Turks, Koreans etc?

[LanceCriminal86]

The USAF didn't lean into NVG usage until ANVIS sets came online and were available in enough numbers. The Phantoms were being retired as those sets were coming online, so there was likely no overlap. The F-4Gs were around slightly longer but I've seen no indications of NVG use with them either.

The Navy began using NVGs around '86 with first on-cruise usage in Intruders during the '87/'88 cruise on the Coral Sea. As quickly as NVG usage started coming online it also identified the need for NVG compatible cockpits, which is something there's evidence of in Navy aircraft but not in the F-4E in USAF usage. Modernized jets from other countries, the Greeks and Turks are more likely. I can't say I saw any ROKAF crews with them nor JASDF in their EJs. Unsure as well with the Germans.

[Zabuzard]

So the F4 has night vision options. But was it ever used by the US?

I've read several books about American pilots who flew the F4 into the 80s. And they never seemed to have used it. The vast majority of American fast jets didn't use them as late as the gulf war or even the Balkans. So I'm guessing the NVGs are for those that continued to use the F4 after the early 90s. Like Germans, Turks, Koreans etc?

As explained in the manual (chapter Mission Editor), the NVGs are there for people who want to make non-historical missions or perhaps a modern conflict, forced to use an old aircraft, or similar. Could also be important for server owners who offer multiple aircraft in a night mission. DCS is a sandbox, so the mission author can decide if NVG is allowed or not for their mission.

As you said, NVG were never used on our F4 model within the timeframe it was used by the US.