F-14 Tomcat

F14 Tomcat F-14

The F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-place strike fighter manufactured by Grumman Aircraft Corporation. The multiple tasks of navigation, target acquisition, electronic counter measures (ECM), and weapons employment are divided between the pilot and the radar intercept officer (RIO). Primary missions include precision strike against ground targets, air superiority, and fleet air defense.

Features: As a Strike Fighter, the Tomcat is capable of deploying an assortment of air-to-ground ordnance (MK-80 series GP bombs, LGBs and JDAM) in various configurations, while simultaneously carrying the AIM-7, AIM-9 and AIM-54 air-to-air missiles. The F14 also has the LANTIRN targeting system that allows delivery of various laser-guided bombs for precision strikes in air-to-ground combat missions and for battle damage assessment. With its Fast Tactical Imagery (FTI) system the F-14 can transmit and receive targeting/reconnaissance imagery in-flight to provide time sensitive strike capability. A number of F-14s also carry the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) providing in-theater tactical reconnaissance.

Background: Current plan is to have F14 Tomcats in service until mid-FY07. Tomcat squadrons have already started to transition to the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft, and will continue to transition in a phased approach

F14 General Characteristics:

Overall Length: 62 feet 9 inches (18.9 meters)
Wingspan: 64 feet (19 meters) unswept; 38 feet (11.4 meters) swept
Height: 16 feet (4.8 meters)
Weight: 43,600 lb (19,777 kg) (F14B)
Speed: Mach 2+
Ceiling: 50,000+ feet
Range: 1600 nm
Power Plants:
F-14A: (2) TF30-414A Afterburning Turbofans with over 40,000 lb Total Thrust
F-14B/D: (2) F110-GE400 Afterburning Turbofans with over 54,000 lb Total Thrust
Sensors: Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) LANTIRN Targeting System
Armament: Up to 13,000 pounds to include fourJoint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) [F-14D], AIM-54 Phoenix missile, AIM 7 Sparrow missile, AIM 9 Sidewinder missile , air-to-ground precision strike ordnance, and one M61A1/A2 Vulcan 20mm cannon.
Crew: Two (pilot and radar intercept officer)
Contractor: Northrop Grumman
F14 Date Deployed: First flight: December 1970

F14 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 F14 As were delivered with improved TF30-P-414A engines. Additionally, an 80th F14 A was manufactured for Iran, but was delivered to the US Navy.

* F-14A Plus or F14 B: 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 F14 B. Thirty eight new aircraft were manufactured and 48 F-14A were upgraded to B variants.[28] In the late 1990s, 67 F14 Bs 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 F14 A were upgraded to D variants.

F14 Operators

* Pacific Fleet
o F-14 VF-1 Wolfpack (Disestablished 30 September 1993)
o F-14 VF-2 Bounty Hunters (Redesignated VFA-2 with F/A-18F 1 July 2003)
o F-14 VF-21 Freelancers (Disestablished 31 January 1996)
o F-14 VF-24 Fighting Renegades (Disestablished 20 August 1996)
o F-14 VF-51 Screaming Eagles (Disestablished 31 March 1995)
o F-14 VF-111 Sundowners (Disestablished 31 March 1995)
o F-14 VF-114 Aardvarks (Disestablished 30 April 1993)
o F-14 VF-124 Gunfighters (Disestablished 30 September 1994)
o F-14 VF-154 Black Knights (Redesignated VFA-154 with F/A-18F 1 October 2003)
o F-14 VF-191 Satan's Kittens (Disestablished 30 April 1988)
o F-14 VF-194 Red Lightnings (Disestablished 30 April 1988)
o F-14 VF-201 Hunters (Redesignated VFA-201 with F/A-18A 1 January 1999)
o F-14 VF-202 Superheats (Disestablished 31 December 1999)
o F-14 VF-301 Devil's Disciples (Disestablished 11 September 1994)
o F-14 VF-302 Stallions (Disestablished 11 September 1994)

* Atlantic Fleet
o F-14 VF-11 Red Rippers (Redesignated to VFA-11 with F/A-18F in May, 2005)
o F-14 V F14 Tophatters (Redesignated VFA-14 with F/A-18E 1 December 2001)
o F-14 VF-31 Tomcatters (Redesignated VFA-31 with F/A-18E October, 2006)
o F-14 VF-32 Swordsmen (Redesignated VFA-32 with F/A-18F on 1 October 2005)
o F-14 VF-33 Starfighters (Disestablished 1 October 1993)
o F-14 VF-41 Black Aces (Redesignated VFA-41 with F/A-18F, 1 December 2001)
o F-14 VF-74 Bedevilers (Disestablished 30 April 1994)
o F-14 VF-84 Jolly Rogers (Disestablished 1 October 1995)
o F-14 VF-101 Grim Reapers (Disestablished 15 September 2005)
o F-14 VF-102 Diamondbacks (Redesignated VFA-102 with F/A-18F in 1 May 2002)
o F-14 VF-103 Sluggers/Jolly Rogers (Redesignated VFA-103 with F/A-18F 1 May 2005)
o F-14 VF-142 Ghostriders (Disestablished 30 April 1995)
o F-14 VF-143 Pukin' Dogs (Redesignated V F14 with F/A-18E in early 2005)
o F-14 VF-211 Fighting Checkmates (Redesignated VFA-211 with F/A-18F 1 October 2004)
o F-14 VF-213 Black Lions (Redesignated VFA-213 with F/A-18F in May 2006)
* Test and Evaluation Squadrons
o F-14 VX-4 Evaluators (Disestablished 30 September 1994)
o F-14VX-9 Vampires (Currently operates F/A-18C/D/E/F, EA-6B, AV-8B, & AH-1)
o F-14 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: F14 A, 1976 - 1980
* 73rd TFS: F14 A, 1977 - until mid-1990s
* 81st TFS: F14 A, 1977 - until today
* 82nd TFS: F14 A, 1978 - until today
* 83rd TFS: F14 A, re-named former 73rd TFS[29]


F-14s preserved at museums include:

* Number Model - Location. Significance
* (R): Signifies an F-14 B or D manufactured from an F14 A.
* 157982 Y F14 A - Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, NY. Prototype #3 Nonstructural Demonstration Testbed
* 157984 Y F14 A - National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, FL. Prototype #5 Systems Compatibility Demonstrator/Testbed
* 157986 Y F-14 A/B - Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, New York City, NY. Prototype #7 Engine/F-14B Testbed
* 157990 Y F-14 A - The March Field Air Museum, Riverside, CA. Prototype #11 Avionics Testbed
* 158978 F14 A - San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum on board the USS Midway, San Diego, CA
* 159432 F-14 A - Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, NY. Forward Fuselage preserved
* 159610 F14 D(R) - National Air & Space Museum, Washington DC. One of the F-14s involved in the second Gulf of Sidra incident.
* 159624 F14 A - Wings Over the Rockies Air Museum, Denver, Colorado
* 160382 F14 A - Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA
* 160395 F-14 A - Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Kalamazoo, MI
* 160666 F-14 A - Western Aerospace Museum, Oakland, CA
* 160684 F14 A - Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ
* 160889 F14 A - Pacific Coast Air Museum, Santa Rosa, CA
* 160899 F14 A - Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, NY
* 160902 F-14 A - Grumman Memorial Park, Calverton, NY
* 161163 F14 D(R) - Prairie Aviation Museum, Bloomington, IL
* 161166 F14 D(R) - Carolinas Aviation Museum, Charlotte, NC. VF-213, Last F-14 to launch on a combat mission (Iraq February 2006)
* 161422 F-14 B(R) - Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, Cape May, NJ
* 161426 F-14 D(R) - DeLand Naval Air Station Museum, DeLand, FL
* 161598 F-14 A - Tulsa Air and Space Museum, Tulsa, OK. Has squadron VF-41, "Black Aces" markings
* 161605 F14 A - Wings Of Eagles Discovery Center/National Warplane Museum, Horseheads, NY
* 162689 F-14A - USS Hornet Museum, Alameda, CA, VF-101 "Grim Reapers", retired August 31, 2000
* 162912 F14 B - Grissom Air Museum, Peru IN. First aircraft retired from VF-11 Red Rippers
* 163904 F14 D - Hickory Regional Airport, Hickory, NC. VF-31 Modex 107, Tomcat flown at Sunset Ceremony at NAS Oceana
* 164601 F14 D - Castle Air Museum, Atwater, CA
* 164603 F14 D - American Air Power Museum, Farmingdale, NY. VF-31 Modex 101 Last (American) Tomcat to take flight
* 164604 F14 D - NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, VA. Last F-14 built by Grumman.
* (unknown) F-14 - Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs, CA.
* (unknown) F14 A - Aviation Challenge Camp, Huntsville, AL. Has the "Jolly Rogers" Insignia on left tail - Once on 3-day stand-by

(credits: US Navy)
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