Grumman F-14A Tomcat: Top Gun of the Naval Fleet

The Grumman F-14A Tomcat was built with one purpose, to protect US Navy aircraft carriers and battle groups at sea from long-range bombers armed with low-level sea skid missiles. Only the Tomcat had the ability to intercept and destroy the bomber threat before they were within range of the battle group’s ships. The TF-30 aircraft’s high-thrust turbofans and oscillating wing design allowed the large fighter to operate from short carrier decks with the help of a steam catapult. Its ability to quickly take off from the carrier, climb impressively to altitude, easily maneuver toward target position, and accelerate to Mach 2+ intercept speed, made it a very lethal fleet defender. The Tomcat used its own radar, as well as the E-2 Hawkeye’s long-range radar to detect the enemy, and had the ability to strike six targets at once from 150 km away.

The F-14A aircrew was the elite of the elite, tasked with protecting a battle group of 10 $ 15 billion warships with 10,000 sailors and more firepower than the entire armed forces of any nation. . The pilot and naval flight officer in the back seat had to function as a well-coordinated team to execute precision flights and carry out their missions to very exacting standards. The F-14 made its first kill in August 1981 when Tomcat pilots Cdr Hank Kleeman and Lt Larry Muszynski of the VF-41 Black Aces squadron shot down two marauding Libyan Sukhoi Su-22 Fitters. Another incident of a similar nature occurred in 1989 when two F-14s shot down a pair of Mig-23s in the same area. The Tomcat has proven to be very capable of combat as an interceptor and defender of the fleet.

The key to the aircraft’s great success was its very powerful Hughes AN / AWG-9 radar that allowed it to detect enemy targets from far away and even made it possible for the Tomcat to shoot down cruise missiles. The AIM Phoenix missile used by the cat was aimed at the target and then used its own radar to locate and destroy the enemy. The F-14 also carried the AIM Sidewinder and AIM Sparrow. The Tomcat could increase its range or endurance by carrying external tanks or in-flight refueling. The F-14 Tomcats could defend the airspace 650 km from the carrier with the help of an E-2C Hawkeye and air-to-air refueling. The oscillating wing design of the fighters allowed it to be highly maneuverable at both low and high speed. The Tomcat was officially retired from active service with the US Navy Fleet in September 2006, after being replaced by the Boeing F / A-18 / F Super Hornet. As of 2009, the F-14 was only in service with the Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran and was exported to Iran in 1976, when the United States had friendly diplomatic relations with the then government. The F-14 Tomcat was the fighter plane of choice for most US Navy pilots, as it was a tremendous fighting machine and truly one of the best superfighters on every flight.