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2006 – The U.S. military officially retires the F-14 Tomcat having been supplanted by the Boeing F/A-18E and F Super Hornets.
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a fourth-generation, supersonic, twinjet, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy’s Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program following the collapse of the F-111B project. The F-14 was the first of the American teen-series fighters, which were designed incorporating the experience of air combat against MiG fighters during the Vietnam War.
The F-14 first flew in December 1970 and made its first deployment in 1974 with the U.S. Navy aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65), replacing the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The F-14 served as the U.S. Navy’s primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor and tactical reconnaissance platform. In the 1990s, it added the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) pod system and began performing precision ground-attack missions. As of 2014, the F-14 was in service with only the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, having been exported to Iran in 1976, when the U.S. had amicable diplomatic relations with Iran.
https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/september-22/
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a fourth-generation, supersonic, twinjet, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy’s Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program following the collapse of the F-111B project. The F-14 was the first of the American teen-series fighters, which were designed incorporating the experience of air combat against MiG fighters during the Vietnam War.
The F-14 first flew in December 1970 and made its first deployment in 1974 with the U.S. Navy aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65), replacing the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The F-14 served as the U.S. Navy’s primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor and tactical reconnaissance platform. In the 1990s, it added the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) pod system and began performing precision ground-attack missions. As of 2014, the F-14 was in service with only the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, having been exported to Iran in 1976, when the U.S. had amicable diplomatic relations with Iran.
https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/september-22/
Posted in these groups: 
Military History
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Military History Aviation
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
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SN Greg Wright
Capt Mark Strobl Did you know they scrapped (actually crushed) the entire fleet, in order to prevent Iran from getting parts? Could have cried when I heard that. What a piece of history to erase.
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Capt Mark Strobl
SN Greg Wright - Yep, we wouldn't have had to do that if we didn't sell the Iranians those planes in the first place! How's that saying go about hind-sight?
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Huge fighter, well over 50,000 pounds in operational weight. Not an easy aircraft to fly. Originally woefully under powered for its weight until the next generation of engines came out. Between Oceana and the Norfolk Naval Air Station I got to observe my share. Watching them fly by in wing swept configuration was a sight to see, obversely watching how slow they could go with wings fully deployed was mesmerizing. We had one go down in the marsh near Oceana in Virginia Beach, VA, during the seventies, right where Lynnhaven Mall stands today. Last year one of its replacements, the F-18 Super Hornet crashed into an apartment complex there. Luckily it was in the middle of the afternoon and with the exception of the pilot and REO, no one was injured. And they were out of the hospital after a couple of days. Ah, the sound of freedom.
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SN Greg Wright
CSM William Payne That f18 sequence was amazing, CSM. Those pilots had about 20 seconds from takeoff to impact, and in that time had to go through these decision trees: right engine failure. Fine. Shut it down. Increase power to left. Left engine failure (this was the first time ever for an unrelated dual-engine failure in the f18). Shut it down. Assess surroundings, note school, decide you can't punch out. Begin dumping fuel because you know there's no way back. Direct the plane as best you can...punch out FIFTY FEET above ground because you're doing your level best to not kill anyone.
It probably takes a person longer to read this post than those two guys had to do all that in a hostile, loud, alarm-filled environment...all with the knowledge that you were surely going down. Simply amazing that it turned out as well as it did, if you ask me.
It probably takes a person longer to read this post than those two guys had to do all that in a hostile, loud, alarm-filled environment...all with the knowledge that you were surely going down. Simply amazing that it turned out as well as it did, if you ask me.
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CSM William Payne
Training, luck and the grace of God. You could repeat that scenario many times over and not come out with the result of that crash. I'm a Navy brat and grew up around Navy aviation, my oldest brother a Marine and my next oldest brother was a Navy E-2 turbo prop mechanic. Watched one of the Blue Angels punch out of a F-4 over the Narragasett Bay during a practice for an air show in Quonset Point Rhode Island during the 70s. So I have more than passing interest in Navy aviation. Navy / Marine aviators are the best. Nothing could possibly compare to making a carrier landing, at night, in a storm.
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