The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American supersonic, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the U.S. Navy’s Naval Fighter Experimental program after the collapse of the F-111B project. It first flew on 21 December 1970 and made its first deployment in 1974, replacing the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. Tomcats were used as land-based interceptors by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War.
About Grumman F-14 Tomcat in brief
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American supersonic, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the U.S. Navy’s Naval Fighter Experimental program after the collapse of the F-111B project. It was the first of the American Teen Series fighters, which were designed incorporating air combat experience against MiG fighters during the Vietnam War. It first flew on 21 December 1970 and made its first deployment in 1974, replacing the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. Tomcats were used as land-based interceptors by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War, where they saw combat against Iraqi warplanes. In November 2015, reports emerged of Iranian F- 14s flying escort for Russian Tupolev Tu-95, Tu-160, and Tu-22M bombers on air strikes in Syria. The TFX had the range and payload capabilities to fill the FAD role, but was designed as a tactical bomber and lacked the manoeuvrability and overall performance that led the Navy to cancel the Missileer. The name \”Tomcat\” was partially chosen to pay tribute to Admiral Connolly, as the nickname had already been widely used within development to reflect Connolly’s involvement, and now the moniker was adapted into an official feline name. It has since been replaced by the Boeing FA-18EF Super Hornet. The F-13 Tomcat remains in service with Iran’s air force, having been exported to Iran under the Pahlavi regime in 1976. It is also used as an aerial reconnaissance platform by the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Maritime and Space Agency.
In the 1990s, the Tomcat began performing precision ground-attack missions. It served as the Navy’s primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor, and tactical Aerial reconnaissance platform into the 2000s. The aircraft was retired by U. S. Navy on 22 September 2006, having being supplanted by the FA-17EF Super Hornets. It remains in use with the Australian Air and Australian Air Forces and the Royal Australia Air Force. It also remains in the service with the Royal Canadian Air Force, as a training aircraft and as part of the Australian Commonwealth Air and Sea Cadets. It will be replaced by a new generation of F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft in the near future. It had been previously been used to replace the TFX in the long-range interception role while the VFA program continued to study a new fighter aircraft that would supplant the Phantom in the ground attack and ground-attacks roles. The design of the VF-17 Hornet has led to the VX program to study new fighter planes that would either replace the Phantom or supplant it in its long-distance interception and ground attack roles. It may also be used in the future as a replacement for the F/E-18E Super HornET. The VX has a range of more than 2,000 miles (3,000 km) and can carry a payload of up to 2,500 pounds (1,800 kg) more than the Phantom II, which has a maximum range of 1,500 km.
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