Grumman F-14 Tomcat

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable geometry wing aircraft. The F-14 was the United States Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor and tactical reconnaissance platform from 1974 to 2006. It later performed precision strike missions once it was integrated with LANTIRN. It was developed after the collapse of the F-111B project, and was the first of the American teen-series fighters which were designed incorporating the experience of air combat in Vietnam against MiGs.

It entered service in 1972 with the U.S. Navy, replacing the F-4 Phantom II. It was later exported to the Imperial Iranian Air Force in 1976. It was retired from the U.S. Navy fleet on 22 September 2006, having been replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. As of 2007, it remains in service only with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.

Development

Main article: History of the F-14 Tomcat

The F-14 Tomcat program was initiated when it became obvious that the issues with the F-111B, the Navy variant of the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX), primarily over weight and maneuverability would not be resolved to the Navy's satisfaction. The Navy requirement was for a fleet air defense fighter (FADF) with the primary role of intercepting Soviet bombers before they could launch missiles against the carrier group, but the navy also wanted the aircraft to possess inherent air superiority characteristics. The Navy strenuously opposed the TFX, which incorporated the Air Force's requirements for a low-level attack aircraft, fearing the compromises would cripple the aircraft, but were forced to participate in the program at direction of then Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara who wanted "joint" solutions to the service aircraft needs to reduce developmental costs. The prior example of the F-4 Phantom which was a Navy program later adopted by the USAF (under similar direction) was the order of the day. Vice Admiral Connolly, DCNO for Air Warfare took the developmental F-111A for a flight and discovered it was unable to go supersonic and had poor landing characteristics. He later testified to Congress about his concerns against the official Department of the Navy position and in May 1968, Congress killed funding for the F-111B allowing the Navy to pursue an answer tailored to their requirements.

NAVAIR shortly issued an RFP for the Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX), a tandem two-seat fighter with maximum speed of Mach 2.2 and a secondary close air support role. Of the five companies that submitted bids (four of which incorporated variable-geometry wings as on the F-111), McDonnell Douglas and Grumman were selected as finalists in December 1968, and Grumman won the contract in January 1969. Grumman had been a partner on the F-111B, and had started work on an alternative when they saw the project heading south, and so had an edge on its competitors. Their early design mock-ups and cost projections were floated among Navy brass as an alternative to the F-111B.

The winning Grumman design reused the TF30 engines from the F-111B, though the Navy planned on replacing them with the F401-PW-400 engines then under development by Pratt and Whitney for the Navy (in parallel with the related F100 for the USAF). Though lighter than the F-111B, it was still the largest and heaviest U.S. fighter to ever fly from an aircraft carrier, its size a consequence of the requirement to carry the large AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, also from the F-111B and an internal fuel load of 16,000 lbs. The F-14 would also share a similar inlet duct, wing, and landing gear geometry with Grumman's A-6 Intruder.

Upon being granted the contract for the F-14, Grumman greatly expanded its Calverton, Long Island, New York facility to test and evaluate the new swing-wing interceptor. Much of the testing was in the air of the Long Island Sound as well as the first few in-flight mishaps, including the first of many compressor stalls and ejections. In order to save time and forestall interference from Secretary McNamara, the Navy skipped the prototype phase and jumped directly to full-scale development; the Air Force took a similar approach with its F-15.

The F-14 first flew on 21 December 1970, just 22 months after Grumman was awarded the contract, and reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 1973. While the Marine Corps was interested in the F-14 and went so far as to send pilots to VF-124 to train as instructors, they were never fully sold on the aircraft and pulled out when the stores management system for ground attack munitions was left undeveloped, leaving the aircraft incapable of dropping air-to-ground munitions (these were later developed in the 1990s).

Operational history

See also: Combat history of the F-14

The F-14 Tomcat was the Navy's primary air superiority fighter and tactical reconnaissance platform from 1972 to 2006. The F-14 served in Iran's air force from 1978 to the present day. Knowledge about its use by Iran is limited.

United States Navy

An F-14A of VF-84 Jolly Rogers, in a 1970s color scheme.

The F-14 began replacing the F-4 Phantom II in USN service starting in September 1974 with squadrons VF-1 Wolfpack and VF-2 Bounty Hunters aboard USS Enterprise and participated in the American withdrawal of Saigon. The F-14 had its first kills on 19 August 1981 over the Gulf of Sidra in what is known as the Gulf of Sidra incident after two F-14s from VF-41 Black Aces were engaged by two Libyan Su-22 "Fitters". The F-14s evaded the short range heat seeking AA-2 "Atoll" missile and returned fire, downing both Libyan aircraft. U.S. Navy F-14s once again were pitted against Libyan aircraft on 4 January 1989, when two F-14s from VF-32 shot down two Libyan MiG-23 "Floggers" over the Gulf of Sidra in a second Gulf of Sidra incident.

Despite the attention given to the Tomcat over aerial encounters in the Gulf of Sidra, its first sustained combat baptism of fire was as a Photo Reconnaissance platform. The Tomcat was selected to inherit the Reconnaissance mission upon departure of the dedicated RA-5C Vigilante and RF-8G Crusaders from the fleet. A large pod called the Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System or TARPS was developed to house three sensors: a two position 6" KS-87 frame camera in the forward bay capable of forward oblique or vertical shots selectable by the Radar Intercept Officer, a 9 in KA-99 panoramic camera capable of narrow or wide field of view in the center bay and an AAD-5 InfraRed line scanner in the aft bay. All camera settings were selected by the RIO although the pilot could initiate camera operation if set up to do so in proper position by the RIO. TARPS entered fleet service by 1979 with VF-84 and was intended to be an interim system until a dedicated F/A-18R variant was fully developed. One of each two Tomcat squadrons per airwing was designated as a TARPS unit and received 3 TARPS capable aircraft and training for 4 TARPS aircrews. The TARPS pod was carried on the starboard aft side of the belly stations with ballast (AIM-54 Phoenix pallets or inert Sparrow missiles) in the forward missile stations.

An F-14A Tomcat from VF-114 intercepting a Soviet Tu-95RT "Bear-D" maritime patrol aircraft.

While the Tomcat was being used in combat in its intended air superiority mission over the skies of Iran in the early 1980s, the US Navy found itself flying regular daily combat missions over Lebanon to photograph activity in the Bekaa Valley. At the time, the Tomcat had been thought too large and vulnerable to be used overland, but the need for imagery was so great that Tomcat aircrews developed high speed medium altitude tactics to deal with considerable AAA and SA-7 SAM threat in the Bekaa area. An urgent combat need was stated to address the Tomcat vulnerability in this type of mission. The first exposure of a Tomcat to a SA-2 was over Somalia in April 1983 when a local battery was unaware of two Tomcats scheduled for a TARPS missions in prelude to an upcoming international exercise in vicinity of Berbera. An SA-2 was fired at the second Tomcat while conducting 10 thousand foot mapping profile at max conserve setting. The Tomcat aircrews spotted the missile launch and dove for the deck thereby evading it without damage. The unexpected demand for combat TARPS laid the way for high altitude sensors such as the KA-93 36" Long Range Optics (LOROP) to be rapidly procured for the Tomcat as well as an Expanded Chaff Adapter (ECA) to be incorporated in a AIM-54 Phoenix Rail. Commercial "Fuzz buster" type radar detectors were also procured and mounted in pairs in the forward cockpit as a stop gap solution to detect SAM radars such as the SA-6. The ultimate solution was upgrade to the ALR-67 then being developed, but it would not be ready until the advent of the F-14A+ in the latter '80s. During the Gulf of Sidra operations in 1986, the Tomcats were used in over water missions only due to their vulnerability overland. It was not until Desert Shield that US Navy Tomcats were introduced to overland combat operations on a regular basis.

File:F-14 Aerial Refuelling.jpg

An F-14A Tomcat from VF-32 during Desert Storm. A KC-135 Stratotanker and two EA-6B Prowlers can be seen in the background.

The participation of the F-14 Tomcat in the 1991 Operation Desert Storm consisted of Combat Air Patrol (CAP) over the Red Sea and Persian Gulf and overland missions consisting of strike escort and reconnaissance. Until the waning days of Desert Storm, in country air superiority was tasked to USAF F-15 Eagles due to the way the Air Tasking Orders (ATO) delegated primary overland CAP stations to the F-15 Eagle. The governing Rules of Engagement (ROE) also dictated a strict Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) requirement when employing Beyond Visual Range weapons such as the AIM-7 Sparrow and particularly the AIM-54 Phoenix. This hampered the Tomcat from using its most powerful weapon. Furthermore, the powerful emissions from the AWG-9 are detectable at great range with a radar warning receiver. Iraqi fighters routinely displayed countertactics as soon as the Tomcats "lit up" them with the AWG-9. The Iraqis would immediately abandon the attack while well out of range, perhaps indicating their familiarity with both the Tomcat and the AIM-54 from previous encounters with Iranian F-14s. The F-14 suffered its only loss from enemy action on 21 January 1991 when b/n 161430, an F-14A upgraded to an F-14A+, from VF-103 was shot down by an SA-2 surface-to-air missile while on an escort mission near Al Asad airbase in Iraq. Both crew survived ejection with the pilot being rescued by USAF Special Forces and the RIO being captured by and held by Iraqi troops as a POW until the end of the war. The F-14 also achieved its final kill, an Mi-8 "Hip" helicopter, with an AIM-9 Sidewinder.

In 1995, F-14s from VF-14 and VF-41 participated in Operation Deliberate Force as well as Operation Allied Force in 1999, and in 1998, VF-32 and VF-213 participated in Operation Desert Fox. On 15 February 2001 the Joint Direct Attack Munition or JDAM was added to the Tomcat's arsenal. On 7 October 2001 F-14s would lead some of the first strikes into Afghanistan marking the start of Operation Enduring Freedom and the first F-14 drop of a JDAM occurred on 11 March 2002. F-14s from VF-2, VF-31, VF-32, VF-154, and VF-213 would also participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The F-14Ds of VF-2, VF-31, and VF-213 obtained JDAM capability in March of 2003. On 10 December 2005, the F-14Ds of VF-31 and VF-213 were upgraded with a ROVER III downlink, a system originally designed for use with unmanned aerial vehicles which allows a Forward Air Controller (FAC) on the ground to see real-time images acquired by the aircraft's sensors by transmitting these images to the FAC's laptop. The F-14s of VF-31 and VF-213 deployed on its last combat cruise on USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2005.

Replacement of the F-14

An F-14 and F/A-18 prepare to launch from USS Enterprise, 1985.

While the F-14 had been developed as a light weight alternative to the 80,000 lb F-111B, the F-14 was still the largest and most expensive fighter in its time. VFAX was revived in the 1970s as a lower cost solution to replacing the Navy's fleet of USMC Phantoms, and A-7. VFAX would be merged with the USAF Light Weight Fighter fighter competition, from which the F/A-18 Hornet emerged as roughly a midsize fighter.

In 1994, Congress would reject Grumman proposals to the Navy to upgrade the Tomcat beyond the D model (such as the Super Tomcat 21, the cheaper QuickStrike version, and the more advanced Attack Super Tomcat 21). Instead, the Navy elected to retire the F-14 and chose the F/A-18E/F to fill the roles of fleet defense and strike formerly filled by the F-14.

Retirement

The F-14 has completed its retirement from US Naval service. At one point, it was slated to remain in service through at least 2008, but all F-14A and F-14B airframes had already been retired, and the last two squadrons, the VF-31 Tomcatters and the VF-213 Black Lions, both flying the "D" models, arrived for their last fly-in at Naval Air Station Oceana on 10 March 2006.

The last American F-14 to fly a combat mission, an F-14D from VF-213, lands at Sherman Field at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

The last American F-14 combat mission was completed on 8 February 2006, when a pair of Tomcats landed aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt after one dropped a bomb in Iraq. That aircraft was assigned to VF-31 and the aircrew credited with the last bomb dropped in combat by a Navy Tomcat was pilot Lt Justin Halligan and RIO Lt Bill Frank. The other Tomcat on that mission was an F-14D from VF-213 piloted by Commander Air Wing Eight, Capt. William G. Sizemore, and became the last F-14 to land on an aircraft carrier after a combat mission. During their final deployment with the USS Theodore Roosevelt, VF-31 and VF-213 collectively completed 1,163 combat sorties totaling 6,876 flight hours, and dropped 9,500 pounds of ordnance during reconnaissance, surveillance, and close air support missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

On 10 March 2006, the 22 planes from these squadrons flew in formation into Naval Air Station Oceana after the last deployment of the F-14. VF-31 remained operational in the F-14 Tomcat under the Fleet Response Plan (FRP) through September and conducted the last carrier qualifications in late July maintaining their ability to deploy right up until the end. VF-213 and VF-31 would transition to the Super Hornet training.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) shot from its catapult an F-14D, assigned to VF-31, for the last time on 28 July 2006. It was piloted by Lt Blake Coleman & RIO Lt Cmdr Dave Lauderbaugh. The last trap recovery was made a while before by Lt Chris Rattigan & Lt Paul Dort, on aircraft no.110. The "official" final flight retirement ceremony was on 22 September 2006 at Naval Air Station Oceana. The ceremonial last flight was flown by Lt Cmdr Chris Richard & RIO Lt Mike Petronis in a backup F-14, after the primary aircraft experienced a mechanical problem The actual last flight of the F-14 Tomcat in US service took place 4 October 2006, when an F-14D of VF-31 was ferried from Oceana to Republic Airport on Long Island, NY.

The remaining intact US Navy F-14 aircraft have been stored at the "Boneyard" of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. These F-14s are currently being disabled by being shredded to prevent parts from being acquired by hostile states.

A U.S. "Top Gun" F-14A, painted to resemble an Iranian fighter for air combat adversary training.

Iran

The sole foreign customer for the Tomcat was the Imperial Iranian Air Force, during the reign of the last Shah (King) of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

In the early 1970s, the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) was searching for an advanced fighter, specifically one capable of intercepting Soviet MiG-25 "Foxbat" reconnaissance flights. After a visit of US President Nixon to Iran in 1972, during which Iran was offered the latest in American military technology, the IIAF narrowed its choice to the F-14 Tomcat or McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. Grumman Corporation arranged a competitive demonstration of the Eagle against the Tomcat before the Shah, and in January 1974 Iran ordered 30 F-14s and 424 Phoenix missiles, initiating Project Persian King, worth US$300 million. Only a few months later, this was expanded by an order for 50 additional F-14As and 290 AIM-54s. The Iranian order was for 80 Tomcats and 714 Phoenix missiles, spare parts, and replacement engines for ten years, complete armament package, and support infra-structure (including construction of the huge Khatami Air Base in the desert near Esfahan).

The first F-14 arrived in January 1976, modified only by the removal of classified avionics components, but fitted with the TF-30-414 engines. The following year 12 more were delivered. Meanwhile, training of the first groups of Iranian crews by the US Navy, was underway in the USA; and one of these conducted a successful shoot-down of a target drone flying at 50,000 feet, with a Phoenix missile.

Following the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, the air force was re-named as the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) and the regime of Ayatollah Khomeini canceled most Western arms orders. Large shipments of spares were held back, including the last Tomcat built for Iran, which was embargoed and eventually turned over to the United States Navy. Deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Iran led to an arms embargo being imposed on Iran, which included parts for its western fighters and missiles. Accounts differ on the ability of the IRIAF to obtain parts and operate the F-14 or AIM-54. However, the IRIAF was able to obtain limited amounts of spare parts and weapons for its American-made aircraft, when Iran was able to buy American spare parts and weapons for its armed forces, during the Iran-Contra Affair. Deliveries came via Israel and later, from the USA.

Former Iranian pilots' reports state that the Iranians not only used their Phoenix missiles effectively in combat, but used them against agile enemy fighters as well. Iran apparently now also produces locally, their own upgraded version of the AIM-54 (equivalent to the AIM-54C version) through their previous R&D on the system. Iran has also modified their Tomcats to fire the Russian R-73 air-to-air missile.

Under Project Sky Hawk, the Iranians fitted MIM-23 Hawk radar-guided, medium-range, surface-to-air missiles on their Tomcats as an ersatz AAM. Another similar project resulted in the IRIAF arming its F-14s with Mk.83-series bombs and deploying it as a fighter-bomber in combat. It is also rumored that at least one F-14 crew defected to Russia with their aircraft and that Russian scientists were allowed access to Iranian F-14s to aid in their maintenance and upgrade - including new Russian radars, engines, and avionics. Both the Iranians and Russians deny these claims.

The combat record of the F-14 in IRIAF service is much debated. In 1980, during the Iran-Iraq War, the downing of a Soviet-built Iraqi Tu-22 "Blinder" bomber was observed by American AWACS crews (but it was actually made by an HAWK missile), while other incidents remain unconfirmed. Western estimates place the figure at four or five kills; Iran claims 35-45 kills. Recent books by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop claim 159 "confirmed" kills with a further 34 possible/probable unconfirmed.

In January 2007, it was announced by the US Department of Defense that sales of spare parts for F-14s would be suspended, due to concerns that they could end up in Iran. It announced that the decision was taken "given the current situation in Iran". On 2 July 2007, the remaining American F-14s were being shredded to ensure that F-14 spare parts would not be acquired by governments considered hostile to the US.

Design

The F-14 was designed to improve on the Phantom's air combat performance in several respects. The F-14's canopy affords 360 degree visibility. The plane features variable geometry wings that swing automatically during flight. For high-speed intercept, they are swept back; they swing forward to allow the F-14 to turn sharply and dogfight. The F-14's fuselage and wings allow it to climb faster than the F-4, while the twin-tail arrangement offers better stability. During the Vietnam conflict, the F-4's lack of a gun was criticized by fighter pilots, and the belated use of a 20 mm gun pod attached to a hardpoint, while useful, was not an optimal solution. As a result, Grumman equipped the F-14 with an internal 20 mm Vulcan Gatling-type gun mounted on the left side, and can carry Phoenix, Sparrow, and Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles.

The Navy wanted the F-14 to have a thrust-to-weight ratio of unity or greater, though this was not achieved until after the F-14 entered service because of delays in engine development. A higher thrust to weight ratio allows a fighter pilot to use the vertical as well as horizontal dimension when dogfighting. The value of this was demonstrated via the Navy's Top Gun program, begun in March of 1969. F-4 Phantom crews frequently fought North Vietnamese MiG-17s. The MiG was lighter and could turn more sharply in a dogfight than the Phantom. However, the Phantom's crew could use its superior thrust to exploit the vertical dimension, and, as one example, Top Gun instructors taught F-4 crews to perform the "egg maneuver," wherein a Phantom engaging a MiG would climb sharply, completing a loop inverted and then dive on the hapless enemy. The result was that, after 1970, US Navy fighter crews enjoyed a greater than 12:1 kill ratio over North Vietnamese pilots.

The F-14 was designed to incorporate these lessons. The intended thrust to weight ratio of unity would allow it to outclimb any opposing fighter jet; the swing-wing would allow it to "knife-fight" in the horizontal as well, and the internal gun would ensure the crew had a reliable, lethal weapon to use when knife-fighting.

Upgrades

File:F110 Burner Can.jpg

Close-up view of the distinctive afterburner petals that distinguish the GE F110 engine.

Because the new engine intended for the Tomcat was not yet ready when the plane entered service, the F-14 was fitted with the TF30 turbofan engines used by the F-111. This engine, the first turbofan to be fitted with an afterburner, was designed for use with attack or strike aircraft, not dogfighters. Further, the TF30 only gave the F-14 a 0.75 thrust to weight ratio, about the same as the F-4, though the F-14 still maneuvered better than its predecessor.

The F-14 received its first of many major upgrades in March 1987 with the introduction of the F-14A+. Although various systems were upgraded, the biggest improvement of all was the replacement of the TF30 engines with the General Electric F110-400. Along with the long overdue engines, the F-14A+ also included the state of the art ALR-67 Radar Homing and Warning (RHAW) system bringing the Tomcat up to date with latest threats. All F-14A+ were redesignated F-14B on May 1, 1991. The Tomcat had suffered throughout its fleet service with the TF30 that had been planned to be only an interim solution until the more powerful P&W F401 engines were available. The TF30 had been plagued from the start with susceptibility to compressor stalls at high AoA and during rapid throttle transients during ACM or above 30,000 feet giving rise to comment that pilots had to "fly the engines" and not the aircraft.

Even more importantly, the F110 engine provided a significant increase in thrust over the 20,900 lb thrust TF30 with 27,600 lb of thrust in afterburner giving the Tomcat better than a 1:1 thrust-to-weight at low fuel quantities. The basic engine thrust without afterburner was powerful enough to no longer require afterburner for carrier launches, further increasing the safety margin. The principal benefit was in tactical application where the Tomcat could now cruise comfortably above 30,000 ft increasing range and survivability. Tomcat aircrews also found the Tomcat to be more competitive in the Air Combat Maneuvering arena. The F-14A+ arrived in time to participate in Desert Storm with VF-74 and VF-103. The F-14 production line switched to producing the F-14B and 38 were delivered as new production models while a further 48 were created by conversion from F-14A models.

Meanwhile, a more significant upgrade program was initiated to incorporate new digital avionics and weapon system improvements to strengthen its multi-mission competitive edge resulting in the definitive F-14D version. The F-14D variant was first delivered in 1991 and was a major upgrade with General Electric F110-400 engines like the F-14B, a new Hughes AN/APG-71 radar system, Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ), Joint Tactical Information Display System (JTIDS), SJU-17(V) Naval Aircrew Common Ejection Seats (NACES) and Infrared Search and Track (IRST). Although the F-14D was to be the definitive version of the Tomcat, the requirement to equip all fleet units with the D model was never realized after the new Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney, cancelled it after 55 aircraft were funded after a disgreement with Congress. Thirty seven of the D models were new production while another 18 were conversions from F-14A models leaving the fleet equipped with a variety of F-14A, B and D model Tomcats. The F-14B model Tomcats were further modified with the an improved Programmable Tactical Information Display (PTID) and digital weapon system modifications under the F-14B Upgrade program. All Tomcats benefited from the Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) Foreign Cooperative Test (FCT) that demonstrated that an existing GEC Marconi DFCS could be incorporated into the Tomcat thereby improving handling qualities behind the aircraft carrier, at high angle of attack AoA and in ACM situations. The Tomcat had long suffered from out-of-control flight problems and DFCS provided a major improvement in flight handling characteristics.

Transformation

File:VF-213 LANTIRN.jpg

An F-14D from VF-213 over Iraq on last Tomcat deployment with LANTIRN pod on starboard glovevane station and LGB underneath fuselage.

In late 1994, an initiative was begun that transformed the Tomcat and ushered in its last and most significant operational contribution. In the wake of cancellation of the $1.6B Block 1 Strike upgrade program, an industry team proposed an unorthodox, but potentially viable and, more importantly, rapid integration of the USAF LANTIRN targeting pod onto the Tomcat. Martin Marietta approached the Navy and offered to fund a feasibility demo on a fleet F-14B Tomcat. Permission was received in October 1994 and by March of 1995, a fleet VF-103 F-14B (nicknamed "FLIRCAT") convincingly demonstrated that the Tomcat could indeed drop Laser Guided Bombs (LGB) guided by the LANTIRN pod. The Navy quickly adopted the LANTIRN initiative and began to equip all F-14 variants with precision strike capability using the LANTIRN targeting system beginning with VF-103's deployment in June 1996. The Tomcat was also upgraded with night vision device (NVD) compatibility, and improved defensive countermeasures through the LAU-138 BOL Chaff dispensing launch rail that replaced the LAU-7 Sidewinder launch rail retaining ability to launch the AIM-9 and adding significant increase in Chaff expendable stores. Even at the end of its life, the F-14 Tomcat continued to be upgraded. However, the transformation of the community into a viable strike entity was not only based on hardware upgrades, it also was transformed by the adoption of the Forward Air Controller Airborne (FAC (A)) mission thanks to enterprising and forward-thinking junior officers who devoted themselves to establishing a curriculum within the Tomcat community.

An F-14D from VF-31, makes a near-supersonic low-level fly-by with LANTIRN pod on starboard glovevane station.

The community also benefited from the retirement of the A-6 Intruder, which brought the best of those air crews into the Tomcat Ready Rooms providing an invaluable corporate memory of precision strike knowledge. At stake was whether the two seat cockpit was still needed with advent of better on board computers to assist single seat pilots. After LANTRIN equipped Tomcats demonstrated time after time that hard targets were best served by two seat air crews and that FAC (A) was a necessity over the skies of Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, the decision was made to field a two seat F/A-18F Super Hornet squadron per air wing, mute testimony to the prowess of the Tomcat in the precision strike role. The Tomcat further took the LANTIRN Targeting System (LTS) to new capability by adding capability to transmit and receive digital imagery (Fast Tactical Imagery or FTI) and also added precision strike coordinate generation through software upgrades to the LANTRIN pod (Tomcat Tactical Targeting) allowing GPS target quality target coordination. The LANTIRN pod was also upgraded with so called 40 K lasers allowing operation above restriction of the original 25 K laser that inhibited operations over Kosovo and Afghanistan as well as restricting launch of weapons such as the GBU-24 at the maximum extent of its envelope. Tomcats also added ability to carry the GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) giving it the option of a variety of LGB and GPS guided weapons.

Variants

A total of 712 F-14s were built at Grumman's factory in Calverton on Long Island from 1969 to 1991. While the F-14 is listed as being produced in Bethpage, NY all construction and test flights were performed out of Grumman's Calverton facility. The Bethpage facility was home to the engineers who designed the F-14 and it produced WW2 aircraft. But Bethpage no longer had the facilities or airport required to produce such a large airplane.

• YF-14A: Prototypes and pre-production aircraft, 12 built.
• F-14A: The original production two-seat all-weather interceptor fighter version for the US Navy. Modifications late in its service life added precision strike munitions to its armament. 545 F-14A aircraft were delivered to the US Navy and 79 to Iran. The final 102 F-14As were delivered with improved TF30-P-414A engines. Additionally, an 80th F-14A was manufactured for Iran, but was delivered to the US Navy.
• F-14A + Plus or F-14B: Upgraded version of the F-14A with GE F110-400 engines. Much of the avionics as well as the AWG-9 radar were retained. Later re-designated F-14B. Thirty eight new aircraft were manufactured and 48 F-14A were upgraded to B variants. In the late 1990s, 67 F-14Bs were upgraded to extend airframe life and improve offensive and defensive avionics systems. The modified aircraft became known as F-14B Upgrade aircraft.
• F-14D Super Tomcat: The final incarnation of the F-14. The original TF-30 engines were replaced with GE F110-400 engines, similar to the F-14B. The F-14D also included newer digital avionics systems including a Glass cockpit and replaced the AWG-9 with the newer APG-71 radar. A total of 37 new aircraft were constructed and 18 F-14A were upgraded to D variants.

Operators

United States Navy (USN) squadrons

F-14, front view.

• • Pacific Fleet
    • VF-1 Wolfpack (Disestablished 30 September 1993)
    • VF-2 Bounty Hunters (Redesignated VFA-2 with F/A-18F 1 July 2003)
    • VF-21 Freelancers (Disestablished 31 January 1996)
    • VF-24 Fighting Renegades (Disestablished 20 August 1996)
    • VF-51 Screaming Eagles (Disestablished 31 March 1995)
    • VF-111 Sundowners (Disestablished 31 March 1995, but in November 2006 the Sundowner tradition lives on with VFC-111 as an Adversary Squadron flying the F-5)
    • VF-114 Aardvarks (Disestablished 30 April 1993)
    • VF-124 Gunfighters (Disestablished 30 September 1994)
    • VF-154 Black Knights (Redesignated VFA-154 with F/A-18F 1 October 2003)
    • VF-191 Satan's Kittens (Disestablished 30 April 1988)
    • VF-194 Red Lightnings (Disestablished 30 April 1988)
    • VF-201 Hunters (Redesignated VFA-201 with F/A-18A 1 January 1999)
    • VF-202 Superheats (Disestablished 31 December 1999)
    • VF-301 Devil's Disciples (Disestablished 11 September 1994)
    • VF-302 Stallions (Disestablished 11 September 1994)
  • Atlantic Fleet
    • VF-11 Red Rippers (Redesignated to VFA-11 with F/A-18F in May, 2005)
    • VF-14 Tophatters (Redesignated VFA-14 with F/A-18E 1 December 2001)
    • VF-31 Tomcatters (Redesignated VFA-31 with F/A-18E October, 2006)
    • VF-32 Swordsmen (Redesignated VFA-32 with F/A-18F on 1 October 2005)
    • VF-33 Starfighters (Disestablished 1 October 1993)
    • VF-41 Black Aces (Redesignated VFA-41 with F/A-18F, 1 December 2001)
    • VF-74 Bedevilers (Disestablished 30 April 1994)
    • VF-84 Jolly Rogers (Disestablished 1 October 1995)
    • VF-101 Grim Reapers (Disestablished 15 September 2005)
    • VF-102 Diamondbacks (Redesignated VFA-102 with F/A-18F in 1 May 2002)
    • VF-103 Sluggers/Jolly Rogers (Redesignated VFA-103 with F/A-18F 1 May 2005)
    • VF-142 Ghostriders (Disestablished 30 April 1995)
    • VF-143 Pukin' Dogs (Redesignated VFA-143 with F/A-18E in early 2005)
    • VF-211 Fighting Checkmates (Redesignated VFA-211 with F/A-18F 1 October 2004)
    • VF-213 Black Lions (Redesignated VFA-213 with F/A-18F in May 2006)
  • Test and Evaluation Squadrons
    • VX-4 Evaluators (Disestablished 30 September 1994)
    • VX-9 Vampires (Currently operates F/A-18C/D/E/F, EA-6B, AV-8B, & AH-1)
    • VX-23 Salty Dogs (Currently operates F/A-18C/D/E/F, EA-6B, EA-18G & T-45)

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) squadrons

• 72nd TFS: F-14A, 1976 - 1980
• 73rd TFS: F-14A, 1977 - until mid-1990s
• 81st TFS: F-14A, 1977 - until today
• 82nd TFS: F-14A, 1978 - until today
• 83rd TFS: F-14A, re-named former 73rd TFS

Survivors

The following is a list of museums with F-14s in their collection:

• BuNo.157982 YF-14A - Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, NY - Prototype #3 Nonstructural Demonstration Testbed
• BuNo.157984 YF-14A - National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, FL - Prototype #5 Systems Compatibility Demonstrator/Testbed
• BuNo.157986 YF-14A/B - Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, New York City, NY - Prototype #7 Engine/F-14B Testbed
• BuNo.157990 YF-14A - The March Field Air Museum, Riverside, CA - Prototype #11 Avionics Testbed
• BuNo.158978 F-14A - San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum on board the USS Midway, San Diego, CA
• BuNo.159432 F-14A - Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, NY - Forward Fuselage preserved
• BuNo.159610 F-14D(R) - National Air & Space Museum, Washington DC - One of the F-14s involved in the second Gulf of Sidra incident
• BuNo.160382 F-14A - Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA
• BuNo.160395 F-14A - Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Kalamazoo, MI
• BuNo.160666 F-14A - Western Aerospace Museum, Oakland, CA
• BuNo.160684 F-14A - Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ
• BuNo.160889 F-14A - Pacific Coast Air Museum, Santa Rosa, CA
• BuNo.160899 F-14A - Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, NY
• BuNo.160902 F-14A - Grumman Memorial Park, Calverton, NY
• BuNo.161163 F-14D(R) - Prairie Aviation Museum - Bloomington, IL
• BuNo.161166 F-14D(R) - Carolinas Aviation Museum, Charlotte, NC - VF-213, Last F-14 to launch on a combat mission (Iraq February 2006)
• BuNo.161422 F-14B(R) - Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, Cape May, NJ
• BuNo.161598 F-14A - Tulsa Air and Space Museum, Tulsa, OK, - Has squadron VF-41, "Black Aces" markings
• BuNo.161605 F-14A - Wings Of Eagles Discovery Center/National Warplane Museum, Horseheads, NY
• BuNo.162912 F-14B - Grissom Air Museum, Peru IN - 1st Aircraft retired from VF-11 Red Rippers
• BuNo.163904 F-14D - Hickory Regional Airport, Hickory, NC - VF-31 Modex 107, Tomcat flown at Sunset Ceremony at NAS Oceana
• BuNo.164601 F-14D - Castle Air Museum, Atwater, CA
• BuNo.164603 F-14D - American Air Power Museum, Farmingdale, NY - VF-31 Modex 101 Last (American) Tomcat to take flight
• BuNo.164604 F-14D - NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, VA - Last F-14 built by Grumman - (R) Signifies an F-14B or D manufactured from an F-14A
• BuNO.(unknown) F-14 - Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs, CA.[7]
• BuNO.(unknown) F-14A - Aviation Challenge Camp, Huntsville, AL - Has the "Jolly Rogers" Insignia on left tail - Once on 3-day stand-by

Specifications (F-14D Super Tomcat)

Orthographically projected diagram of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.

An F-14 launches an AIM-7 Sparrow.

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer)
• Airfoil: NACA 64A209.65 mod root, 64A208.91 mod tip

Performance

• Thrust/weight: 0.91

Armament
13,000 lb (5,900 kg) of ordnance including:

• Guns: 1× M61 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling Gun
• Missiles: AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air
• Loading configurations:
  • 2× AIM-9 + 6× AIM-54
  • 2× AIM-9 + 2× AIM-54 + 4× AIM-7
  • 2× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-54 + 2× AIM-7
  • 2× AIM-9 + 6× AIM-7
  • 4× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-54
  • 4× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-7
• Bombs: GBU-10, GBU-12, GBU-16, GBU-24, GBU-24E Paveway I/II/III LGB, GBU-31, GBU-38 JDAM, Mk-20 Rockeye II, Mk-82, Mk-83 and Mk-84 series iron bombs

Avionics

• Hughes AN/APG-71 radar
• AN/ASN-130 INS, IRST, TCS

Popular culture

The F-14 inspired a number of pop cultural uses worldwide. In 1980, the time-travel film The Final Countdown featured the VF-41 "Black Aces" and VF-84 "Jolly Rogers" F-14 fighter squadrons aboard USS Nimitz. The F-14s of the "Jolly Rogers" were also a primary inspiration for the VF-1 Valkyrie in the 1982-1983 Japanese animated TV series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (adapted outside Japan as part of Robotech). In 1986, the F-14 was the main aircraft in the film Top Gun, spawning a surge in U.S. Navy recruiting as well as a video game franchise. The 1995–2005 TV series JAG featured a qualified F-14 pilot as a lead character and a retired F-14 airframe in several episodes. The F-14 has also been featured in numerous video games, and lesser roles in other films and TV series as well. It also features in Dan Brown's book Deception Point (2001).

References

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• Crosby, Francis. Fighter Aircraft. London: Lorenz Books, 2002. ISBN 0-7548-0990-0.
• Drendel, Lou. F-14 Tomcat in Action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1977. ISBN 0-89747-031-1.
• Eden, Paul. Modern Military Aircraft. Phoenix, Arizona: Amber Books, 2004. ISBN 1-904687-08-3.
• Eshel, D. Grumman F-14 Tomcat (War Data No. 15). Hod Hasharon, Israel: Eshel-Dramit Ltd., 1982.
• Holmes, Tony. US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom. London: Osprey Publishing Limited, 2005. ISBN 1-84176-801-4.
• Stevenson, J.P. Grumman F-14, Vol. 25. New York: Tab Books, 1975. ISBN 0-8306-8592-8.

External links

• F-14 US Navy fact file
• F-14 page on NASA Langley site
• Revival of the Air Superiority Fighter, Rand
• F-14 Tomcat Reference Work, Home of M.A.T.S.

Related content

• 4th generation jet fighter

Related development

• General Dynamics F-111B

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• F-15 Eagle
• F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
• General Dynamics F-111
• Panavia Tornado ADV
• Sukhoi Su-27
• Mikoyan MiG-31

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of fighter aircraft