F-14 Tomcat

* 10 hardpoints for carrying up to 14,500 lbs of ordnance, including LAU-10 rocket pods, AIM- 54 Phoenix missiles, AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, Mk80 series unguided bombs, Paveway series laser guided bombs, MK 20 Rockeye II cluster bombs

## Usage

### Affiliation

-United States Navy-Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force

The **Grumman F-14 Tomcat** is a supersonic, twin engine, two seat, twin tail variable geometry wing fighter aircraft. It was designed by the US Navy as a fleet defense fighter after the cancellation of the F-111B program, and was designed to replace the F-4 Phantom II. It was first flown in 1970, and formally entered service in 1974. Originally meant as a fleet defense fighter, it has also been adapted as an interceptor, fighter bomber, and tactical aerial reconnaissance platform. It is currently operated by the United States Navy and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.

Due to the F-14s proving themselves to be excellent fighter jets during the Terran campaign and the threat of Imperial Tie fighters swarms being concerning, the US Navy decided to retain their fleet of F-14s rather than retire them in 2006 in fact the F-14 Tomcats was upgraded as the **F-14 Super Tomcat**.

## Description

The F-14 Tomcat is 4th generation fighter aircraft designed originally for the US Navy. It was specifically designed to be capable of carrying the new, long-range AIM-54 Phoenix air to air missile.

The Tomcat was the first US fighter designed with variable geometry wings. Depending on the speed and lift requirements for certain situations, the wings are capable of rotating between 20 and 68 degrees sweep, a function taken care of by the fighter's onboard computer.

The aircraft is designed primarily for air to air combat. It's main weapons are its missiles, which include the AIM-54 Phoenix, the radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow, and the heat seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder. It also carries an M61A1 20mm cannon with 675 rounds of ammunition.

The Tomcat was designed as an interceptor, necessitating high speed and a high rate of climb. On full afterburner, the Tomcat is capable of reaching speeds of 1,544 mph, or Mach 2.34. It is also capable of a rate of climb of 45,000 feet per minute.

## History

### Development

The F-14 Tomcat was initially designed in the late 1960s as a result of the cancellation of the F-111B program. It was designed to replace the F-4 Phantom as the US Navy's primary fleet defense fighter. It was also designed to carry the new AIM-54 Phoenix in response to the increase in capability of Soviet anti-ship missiles.

### US Navy Service

The Tomcat first flew in December 1970, and was first deployed on the aircraft carrier *USS Enterprise* in 1974. It's first combat missions came when it flew fighter cover for the evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.

The Tomcat had its first air to air kills in US service in 1981 over the Gulf of Sidra, when two F-14 Tomcats engaged and shot down two Libyan Su-22 fighter bombers. In a similar incident in 1989, two Tomcats shot down two Libyan MiG-23s interceptors.

The F-14 was again used in combat in Operation Desert Storm over Iraq. Flying from US Navy aircraft carriers, F-14s were mostly relegated to escorting US Navy air strikes and conducting reconnaissance missions. F-14s were also deployed near the end of the war near the Iranian border to stop Iraqi aircraft escaping to Iran. The F-14 scored only one kill, a helicopter, during the conflict.

### Export to Iran

The sole foreign operator of the Tomcat is the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force. The Tomcat was ordered by the final Shah of Iran. 79 of the 80 ordered airframes were delivered prior to the fall of the Shah, and the 80th airframe was withheld from the new government.

The Iranians used the Tomcat heavily in the 8 year long Iran-Iraq War, and used it very effectively. Over 160 Iraqi aircraft were lost to F-14s. Only 12 to 16 Tomcats were lost, half of which were due to non-combat reasons.

### Terran Campaign

The Tomcat was used heavily in the Terran Campaign. US Navy Tomcats participated in the Battles of California, New York, and Vladivostok, and Iranian Tomcats participated in the Battle of Tehran. The Tomcats proved one of the most effective air superiority fighters in the Terran arsenal, losing only 20 Tomcats in air combat between the four battles, with over 450 droid fighters and bombers confirmed destroyed by Tomcats.

Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker flew a modified F-14 during the Battle of California. This Tomcat was one of several that had its M61 cannon replaced with a small internal laser cannon. Skywalker's Tomcat shot down 10 droid fighters, and destroyed over 1,000 battle droids with 11 AATs on the ground.

### Galactic Civil War

During the Battle of Earth, F-14s were flown in defense of both Long Island and Los Angeles, destroying scores of Imperial Tie fighters.

## External link

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman\_F-14\_Tomcat