F-14 Tomcat

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Image:F-14.jpg The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a United States Navy supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-seat interceptor. The Tomcat's primary missions are air superiority and fleet air defense, though it later acquired the ability to strike ground targets with precision munitions. It entered service in 1972 with the USN, replacing the F-4 Phantom II. It was later exported to the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) in 1976. It was retired from the USN in 2006, replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, though it remains in service with the IIAF.


Contents

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History

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Development

The F-14 was developed to take the place of the General Dynamics F-111B, the aborted navalized version of the TFX project. Intended to provide fleet air defense, the F-111B proved unmaneuverable, overweight, and, in general, poorly suited to carrier operations, leading to its cancellation in 1968.

The Navy requirement called for a long-range, high-endurance interceptor. Navy doctrine for defending against the new Soviet jet bombers armed with nuclear anti-ship missiles involved defense in depth, with the outer ring consisting of interceptors functioning as high-speed missile platforms. This requirement was originally to be filled by the cancelled F6D Missileer. The most significant problem with such a design was accommodating the contradictory demands of high speed, long range, and low landing speeds for carrier operations. Variable geometry wings offered a solution to this conundrum.

The Navy issued an RFP for the VFX in July 1968, resulting in the selection of the Grumman offer in 1969. Early in development, the Tomcat was already shown to have several advantages over the F-111B. It was smaller, lighter, and more fuel-efficient than the TFX. Ironically, much of the F-14's equipment was re-used from the TFX, including the AN/AWG-9 radar, AIM-54 Phoenix missile, and the Pratt & Whitney TF30 engines.

The Tomcat is said to be named for the late Vice Admiral Thomas Connolly, whose testimony before the Senate was critical in the cancellation of the TFX project. Connolly's call sign was "Tomcat," hence the popular name which also conformed with the Navy's tradition of giving feline names to Grumman fighters. In addition, "Tomcat" was first suggested for the Grumman F7F Tigercat in 1943, but it was rejected by the Navy as being inappropriately suggestive.

To facilitate the rapid entry of the F-14 into service, the Navy planned to recycle the engine and avionics from the F-111B for the initial version, and progressively introduce new avionics and weapons systems into the airframe. The designation F-14A was assigned to the airframe equipped with updated TF-30 engines and the AN/AWG-9 weapons system from the F-111B. It first took flight December 21, 1970. The original plan was to only build a few F-14As, as the TF30 was known to be a troublesome engine. In addition, the engine was not designed for rapid thrust changes or a wide flight envelope and only supplied 74% of the intended thrust for the F-14. An F-14B would follow in November 1987 using the engine from the advanced technology engine competition. The F-14C was intended to denote a varient implementing a replacement for the AN/AWG-9. However, it was delayed, and this variant was never produced. When it finally arrived as the AN/APG-71, the designation assigned to the new aircraft was F-14D, which first flew November 24, 1987.

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Operational History

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United States Navy

Image:F-14-vf-84.jpg The F-14 entered 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 the USS Enterprise (CVN 65). In 1995, an upgrade program was initiated to incorporate new digital avionics and weapon system improvements to strengthen its multi-mission competitive edge. The F-14D, delivered in 1990 in reduced numbers, was a major upgrade with F-110 engines, new AN/APG-71 radar system, Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ), Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) and Infrared Search and Track (IRST). Additionally, all F-14 variants were given precision strike capability using the LANTIRN targeting system, night vision compatibility, new defensive countermeasures systems and a new digital flight control system.

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Imperial Iranian Air Force

The sole foreign customer for the Tomcat was the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) during the reign of the Shah of Iran. Due to the F-14's cost, lack of ground attack capacity, and the US government's preference to champion the F-15 for export, it was an unpopular export aircraft.

A total of 80 aircraft were ordered, 79 of which were delivered between 1976 and 1978. Due to the overthrow of the Shah, the last unit was embargoed and turned over to the United States Navy. The weapons embargo on Iran also cut off spare parts and technical assistance for the aircraft. For many years it was thought from that point forward Iran used the fighter primarily as an airborne radar controller, escorted and protected by other fighters, but later information indicates this was incorrect.

There are reports that the aircraft was used extensively in the Iran-Iraq War and some claim it achieved over one hundred kills. Although information received about that war is notably sketchy and some sources may be suspect, a phenomenon from the early part of the Gulf War, as well as U.S. AWACS surveillance of Iranian F-14 operations tends to lend some credibility to these claims. In the Gulf War conflict U.S. F-14s were used primarily for strike package escort and reconnaissance due to the way the Air Tasking Orders were set up. The emissions from the AWG-9/APG-71 are instantly recognizable, due to its very powerful transmitter. When Iraqi fighters were detected inbound, as soon as the Tomcats "lit up" the Iraqis would immediately abandon the attack while well out of range, perhaps indicating their familiarity with both the Tomcat and the AIM-54.

Some rumors suggest that a few of the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles supplied to Iran before the revolution were sold to the Soviet Union, where they may have strongly influenced the development of the similar Vympel AA-9 'Amos' long-range missile. In return, the Soviets may have assisted in returning the Phoenix to service in Iran. However, the Iran Air Force officials and pilots are definite, that Soviets were never allowed near the F-14s and did never receive any F-14 or AIM-54 technology. Also, the AIM-54 missile was never out of service in the IRAAF, though the stocks of operational missiles were low at times. Clandestine deliveries from US sources and black market purchases supplied spares to top up the Phoenix reserves during the war, and spares deliveries from the USA in the 1990s have also helped. Furthermore, an attempt was made to adapt the MIM-23 HAWK surface-to-air defense missiles that were also a carryover from the pre-revolution period to be used as air-to-air missiles for the F-14, but this proved unsuccessful.

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Characteristics

The Tomcat consists of a high forward nacelle containing the radar and cockpits, and two widely spaced engines arranged around a flat fuselage that contains the variable geometry mechanism. The fuselage alone forms over half of the aircraft's lifting surface. The space between the engines allows for carriage of many external stores in a less aerodynamically intrusive manner than on the wings, in a manner remniscent of the A-5 Vigilante. The variable geometry wings would have required complex pylons to remain aligned with the airstream, as on the F-111B. The F-14 has an additional pair of hardpoints on the fixed vane portion of the wing.

Though designed as an interceptor for high speed at the expense of maneuverability, the F-14 was one of the most maneuverable and agile airplanes of its generation. This was a consequence of the requirement for low landing speeds. The flat, pancake-like section between the engines acts as an airfoil to provide additional lift, giving the Tomcat an effective wing area about 40% greater than its actual wing dimensions. This results in relatively low effective wing loading. The Tomcat also has a Mach Sweep Programmer (MSP) that automatically adjusts the wing angle for optimum flight performance (the only VG aircraft so equipped — a similar system was tested but not used for the Panavia Tornado ADV), and movable glove vanes that offset the migration of the center of lift rearwards as airspeed increased. Pilots could also manually deploy them for extra assist in turns. However, the benefits were not considered worth the maintenance workload caused by the vanes and they were subsequently removed on later variants. Most variable-geometry aircraft are optimized for fast, low-altitude attack, emphasizing good gust response rather than maneuverability. Despite the Tomcat's considerable size, its agility compares well to many other fighters, although that created problems for the troublesome and unreliable TF30 turbofans, which were subject to compressor stalls in violent maneuvers or high alpha. Once the reliable F110 engines arrived, which also provided the F-14 with the full thrust for which it was designed, the full capability of the aircraft became apparent. The plane accelerates and decelerates very rapidly, and while it can't match it in roll, is said to be able to consistently fight F-16Cs to a draw close in while retaining its speed, endurance and avionics advantages. In addition, early in its development, an F-14 easily defeated a slatted F-4J Phantom in mock air-to-air combat. Although the F-14 is capable of Mach 2.4+ dashes in a clean configuration, experience has shown that very little time is spent above Mach 2. Despite its agility in the air, the F-14 is notoriously difficult to land on a carrier deck and its service has been marred by numerous landing accidents.

The Tomcat was intended as an uncompromising air superiority fighter and interceptor, charged with defending carrier battle groups against Soviet Navy aircraft armed with cruise missiles. It carried the Hughes AN/AWG-9 long-range radar originally developed for the F-111B, capable of detecting bomber-sized targets at ranges exceeding 160 km (100 miles), tracking 24 targets and engaging six simultaneously. In a now famous test, an F-14 simultaneously shot down five of six target drones. However, what was not commonly disclosed is that the drones were flying dumb profiles; not jamming or evading the missiles, unlike an actual target would.

The F-14's primary weapon has been the AIM-54 Phoenix missile, capable of engaging a target at up to 200 km (120 statute miles). It was removed from service on 30 September 2004, replaced by the lower-range but much more accurate and maneuverable AMRAAM. The F-14 was the only aircraft to carry the AIM-54, which was designed as an integral part of the Tomcat weapons system. Although it could carry up to six of these large weapons, its heavy weight only enabled the F-14 to land on a carrier with two. Medium-range armament was provided by the AIM-7 Sparrow semi-active radar homing missile (also replaced by the AMRAAM). For short ranges, it carried AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared missiles and a single M61 Vulcan 20 mm cannon.

Though designed with some air-to-ground capability, the F-14 did not take that role until late in its career. Tomcats have now been equipped to carry the LANTIRN targeting system for use by laser-guided bombs and other precision-guided weapons. Some F-14's are also equipped to carry the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) pod, giving the Navy what was then its only manned tactical reconnaissance platform.

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Decommissioning of the F-14

Image:Tomcat.f14.750pix.jpg The original F-14 was intended to be a multi-role aircraft with a potent strike capability from the outset. However, budget constraints, and the assigning of the strike role to the F/A-18 meant that this capability was dropped before the F-14 was brought into service. It was resurrected later in its life, however, with the ability for later model F-14s to carry the LANTIRN pod. With this accessory the F-14 could deliver Laser-guided bombs or many other Navy air-to-ground munitions with a fair amount of accuracy over intermediate ranges. After the retirement of the A-6 Intruder attack aircraft, the F-14 was the longest range strike platform on U.S. supercarriers. It is debatable, and to many doubtful, whether the Super Hornet will be able to deliver the quantity of munitions that the F-14 can over similar ranges. Unfortunately, without the ability to re-manufacture or replace the F-14 fleet, the tired and high-maintenance airframes and engines fitted mostly with technology from the 1970s are on their way out, though by many standards it is still superior to the fighters of many airforces. Regardless, the decision to incorporate the Super Hornet and decommission the F-14 is mainly due to the high amount of maintenance required to keep the Tomcats operational. On average, an F-14 requires nearly fifty maintenance hours for every flight hour, while the Super Hornet requires five to ten maintenance hours for every flight hour.

Grumman had submitted several 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) but the Super Hornet was chosen as the future Navy attack aircraft instead. Grumman was acquired by Northrop in 1994 (the F-14 was probably the only program keeping them in business), sealing the fate of the F-14.

The F-14 has completed its decommissioning from the U.S. Navy. It was slated to remain in service through at least 2008, but all F-14A and F-14B airframes have 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 F-14 Tomcat will be removed from service and officially stricken from the inventory in September of 2006.

Image:LastF14,jpg.jpgThe last F-14 combat mission was completed on February 8, 2006, when a pair of Tomcats landed aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) after one dropped a bomb in Iraq. The plane was part of VF-31 and the last pilot credited with a bomb drop in combat was Lt. Bill Frank. An F-14D from VF-213 was the last F-14 to land on an aircraft carrier after a combat mission, it was piloted by Capt. William G. Sizemore. During their final deployment with the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), VFs-31 and -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 OIF. On March 10, the 22 planes from these squadrons flew in formation into Naval Air Station Oceana, home from the last combat deployment of the F-14. VF-213 pilots and RIOs who are making the transition to the Super Hornet will begin F/A-18F (double seat) training in April, and the squadron will be operational, or “safe for flight,” in September. VF-31 pilots who are making the transition will begin F/A-18E (single seat) training in October, and the squadron will be safe for flight in April 2007. This will make VF-31 the last official Tomcat squadron in the Navy. Because of its popularity, and long service life, the Navy is attempting to place as many of its retired F-14's on public display as possible. Consequently, aircraft mothballed at the Davis-Monthan "Boneyard" will be retained for as long as possible while homes are found for them.

<ref>[http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=22325 TR Traps Last Tomcat from Combat Mission, from Navy Newsstand</ref>

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Operators

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United States Navy (USN) squadrons

  • VF-1 Wolfpack (Disestablished September 30, 1993)
  • VF-2 Bounty Hunters (Redesignated VFA-2 with F/A-18F July 1, 2003)
  • 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 December 1, 2001)
  • VF-21 Freelancers (Disestablished January 31, 1996)
  • VF-24 Fighting Renegades (Disestablished August 20, 1996)
  • VF-31 Tomcatters (Active; scheduled for redesignation to VFA-31 with F/A-18E in Sept 2006)
  • VF-32 Swordsmen (Redesignated VFA-32 with F/A-18F on October 1, 2005)
  • VF-33 Starfighters (Disestablished October 1, 1993)
  • VF-41 Black Aces (Redesignated VFA-41 with F/A-18F, December 1, 2001)
  • VF-51 Screaming Eagles (Disestablished March 31, 1995)
  • VF-74 Bedevilers (Disestablished April 30, 1994)
  • VF-84 Jolly Rogers (Disestablished October 1, 1995)
  • VF-101 Grim Reapers (Disestablished September 15, 2005)
  • VF-102 Diamondbacks (Redesignated VFA-102 with F/A-18F in May 1, 2002)
  • VF-103 Sluggers/Jolly Rogers (Redesignated VFA-103 with F/A-18F May 1, 2002)
  • VF-111 Sundowners (Disestablished March 31, 1995)
  • VF-114 Aardvarks (Disestablished April 30, 1993)
  • VF-124 Gunfighters (Disestablished September 30, 1994)
  • VF-142 Ghostriders (Disestablished April 30, 1995)
  • VF-143 Pukin' Dogs (Redesignated VFA-143 with F/A-18E in early 2005)
  • VF-154 Black Knights (Redesignated VFA-154 with F/A-18F October 1, 2003)
  • VF-191 Satan's Kittens (Disestablished April 30, 1988)
  • VF-194 Red Lightnings (Disestablished April 30, 1988)
  • VF-201 Hunters (Redesignated VFA-201 with F/A-18A January 1, 1999)
  • VF-202 Superheats (Disestablished December 31, 1999)
  • VF-211 Fighting Checkmates (Redesignated VFA-211 with F/A-18F October 1, 2004)
  • VF-213 Black Lions (Active; scheduled for redesignation to VFA-213 with F/A-18F in May 2006)
  • VF-301 Devil's Disciples (Disestablished December 31, 1994)
  • VF-302 Stallions (Disestablished December 31, 1994)
  • VX-4 Evaluators (Disestablished September 30, 1994)
  • VX-9 Vampires (Currently operates F/A-18C/D/E/F, EA-6B, AV-8B, & AH-1)
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Iranian Air Force (IRIAF) squadrons

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F-14 in combat

Main article: Combat history of the F-14

F-14s of the U. S. Navy have shot down five enemy aircraft for no losses. One has been lost to a surface-to-air missile. The combat record of the F-14 in IRIAF service is much debated, but the Western intelligence community estimates four kills against four or five losses. Recent books by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop claim nearly 150 kills, but this is dubious against the Western view and the official Iranian claim of 35 kills.

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F-14 in fiction and popular culture

  • The Tomcat played a prominent role in Top Gun, the 1986 film about naval aviators that fly the F-14. The success of that film helped the Tomcat become the most famous fighter jet of the time, and spurred a game franchise and a surge in U.S. Navy recruiting.
  • The 1980 time-travel film The Final Countdown featured the VF-84 "Jolly Rogers" F-14 fighter squadron aboard Nimitz.
  • The F-14 appears in numerous episodes of the 1995–2005 TV series JAG. The lead character Captain Harmon Rabb (played by David James Elliott) is a qualified F-14 pilot.
  • Famous crash footage of an aircraft hitting the stern of an aircraft carrier while attempting a deck landing was used in the films Midway and The Hunt for Red October, is often mistakenly identified as a F-14. However, a closer look at the fuselage of the aircraft reveals it to be a Grumman F9F Panther. In Midway it is supposed to represent the crash of a WWII SBD Dauntless piloted by Charlton Heston's character.
  • Tomcats are featured in Stephen Coonts' novel Final Flight.
  • The F-14 was the inspiration for the VF-1 Valkyrie in the Japanese animated TV series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982–1983). In the prequel Macross Zero, the lead character Lieutenant Shin Kudo (played by Kenichi Suzumura) is a qualified F-14 pilot.
  • A modified single-seater F-14 is protagonist Mickey Simon's aircraft in the popular manga/anime series Area 88.
  • The computer simulator "F-14: Fleet Defender" featured the Tomcat.
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Specifications (F-14D Tomcat)

Image:F14Missile.jpg Image:F-14Schematic.jpg Template:Airtemp

Unit cost
  • Unit Cost: US$38 million
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External links

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References

  • Tony Holmes (2005). US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Osprey Publishing Limited.
  • Lou Drendel (1977). F-14 Tomcat in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications
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