The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, tandem two-seat, twin-tail, all-weather-capable variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy 's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after the collapse of the General Dynamics-Grumman F-111B project.

The iconic F-14 Tomcat was Grumman's answer. Equipped with long range AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missiles, F-14s could engage multiple hostiles over 90 miles away.

F-14 Tomcats were the primary multirole fighters mostly intercepting the Tu-95 Bear D aircraft that flew anywhere in the vicinity of U.S. aircraft carriers during the Cold War. U.S. policy was not to let the Bear D come within several hundred miles of an aircraft carrier without an armed escort.

Dec 26, 2020 · The F-14 could carry more bombs than the F/A-18A/C Hornet and, with its long range and heavy payload, it became the aircraft carrier’s deep strike platform, effectively replacing the A-6.

The F-14 is a two-seat, twin-engine jet fighter, also called the Tomcat, that was built from 1970 to 1992. It was designed in the 1960s with the aerodynamic and electronic capacities to defend U.S. aircraft-carrier operations at long ranges against Soviet aircraft and missiles.

Jun 23, 2017 · The F-14 Tomcat is the most iconic Cold War US Naval fighter, next to the McDonnel Douglas F-4 Phantom. It is also a replacement for the F-4 Phantom and the failed F-111B, incorporating the lessons and experiences acquired during Vietnam as …

Deliveries of Tomcats to the US Navy began in June 1972. With its variable sweep wing design, the F-14 became the Navy’s premier fighter, the first of the super fighters. F-14’s were phased out of service by the end of 2006.

The F-14, with its AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missiles, coupled with airborne early-warning aircraft radar, was able to simultaneously intercept, engage and destroy up to six incoming enemy aircraft out to distances of one hundred miles from a carrier task force.

Feb 1, 2022 · The Grumman F-14 "Tomcat" was the quintessential United States Navy (USN) fleet defense interceptor of the latter Cold War years. Its existence was brought about largely due to the demise of the failed F-111B initiative, a carrier-based version of the large General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" swing-wing fighter-bomber.

The F-14A Tomcat on the field at the Pacific Coast Air Museum. The Tomcat was the mainstay air superiority fighter of the US Navy from 1974 until 2006. During its 32 years in service, it earned a reputation as one of the most awe-inspiring combat planes of all time.