The F-14 platform was the US Navy’s long-range, high-endurance interceptor able to better defend larger carrier battle groups.
Earlier this summer, Iran’s small fleet of remaining F-14 “Tomcat” fighter jets was largely obliterated by the Israel Defense Forces’ strikes. As part of the Jewish state’s air campaign to reduce Tehran’s aerial capabilities, at least five Tomcats were destroyed on the ground at airfields in Iran. While the exact number of remaining operational F-14s in Iran’s possession remains unknown, analysts speculate the figure to be somewhere between five and 25. Tehran has tried to maintain and modify its Cold War-era fleet for years; however, these jets have suffered from several high-profile issues throughout their service lives.
Introducing the F-14 Tomcat
The Tomcat is perhaps best recognized for its role in the 1986 blockbuster film Top Gun. Initially conceptualized in the aftermath of World War II, the F-14 platform was the US Navy’s solution to field a long-range, high-endurance interceptor able to better defend larger carrier battle groups. The Tomcat was the product of the joint Navy/Air Force Tactical Fighter Experimental program (TFX). Big-name manufacturer Northrop Grumman was eventually awarded the contract to design and develop the jet.
When the legendary aircraft first entered service with the Navy in the early 1970s, it was meant to succeed the F-4 Phantom fighter series. Northrop’s initial design plans incorporated the TF30 engines used to power the F-111B airframe. However, the Navy did always intend to replace these engines down the line with the newer Pratt & Whitney F401-400 engines. In the end, the twin-engine, air-to-air fighter could reach speeds in excess of Mach 2.2 (times the speed of sound). In terms of ordnance power, the Tomcat really shone in its heyday. Equipped with the General Electric Vulcan M61A-1 20mm gun and 675 rounds of ammunition, the Tomcat was certainly deserving of its dog-fighting reputation. Additionally, the platform features eight hardpoints for carrying a variety of munitions, including the AIM-9, AIM-54, AIM-7, and other air-to-air missiles.
How Iran Obtained the F-14 Tomcat
Based on its top-tier specs, Iran’s eventual possession of the platform is probably shocking to hear today. During the Cold War, then-President Richard Nixon desired to beef up the aerial capabilities of an ally closer to the Soviet Union. The president visited the Iranian head of state at the time, Mohamed Reza Shah, which culminated in the delivery of 79 operational F-14s to the country. Obviously, following the fall of the shah and the installation of the Islamic Republic regime in 1979, the United States hoped to revoke its previous delivery. However, Tehran has been able to circumvent all the roadblocks set up by Washington at the time and maintain its Tomcat fleet over the years.
According to The War Zone, Tehran’s remaining fleet of Tomcats is abysmal at best. “[The] F-14’s once-state-of-the-art AN/AWG-9 fire control radar has suffered from low serviceability, with the Tomcat fleet effectively being divided between those with fully functioning radars and those with more diminished capabilities. The current status of any surviving AIM-54 Phoenix and AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles is also a matter of debate, and Iranian programs to introduce alternative weaponry for the F-14 have had only very mixed results.”
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image: DVIDS.
