Out with the old...
Even though she still feels like a comfortable pair of sleepers we
had to let her go. Weighed down by high repair costs and age she had to
make way for the newer F/A-18.
The US-made F-14 Tomcat, the one flown to the edge of the envelope
and made famous by Tom Cruise in the film Top Gun. Is being withdrawn from
active service. The Tomcat is going into mothballs because of advances in
military technology. The ability to maneuver at high speeds and in close combat
situations is going to the back ground as fighter planes
no longer need such abilities because they don't dogfight any more. Instead,
pilots shoot at each other with target-seeking rockets, sometimes from 20km
away now with the new advances in first sight first fire technology.
The F-14 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 F110 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. At the end of its life, the F-14 Tomcat was upgraded with ROVER, a system which allows a Forward Air Controller (FAC) on the ground to see real-time images acquired by the aircraft's sensors by transmitting these images to the FAC's laptop.
The
Tomcats were officially retired from service last week, replaced by FA-18 Super
Hornets that are cheaper to maintain, easier to operate from aircraft carriers
and able to carry more bombs. The F-14 requires nearly 50 maintenance hours for
every flight hour compared to five to 10 hours maintenance for the FA-18. The F-14 entered operational
service in 1974 when two squadrons were assigned to the USS Enterprise,
replacing F-4 Phantom fighters that were eventually phased out in
1986. The F-14 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 F110 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. At the end of its life, the F-14 Tomcat was
upgraded with ROVER, a system which allows a Forward Air Controller (FAC) on
the ground to see real-time images acquired by the aircraft's sensors by
transmitting these images to the FAC's laptop.
Specifications (F-14D Super Tomcat)
General characteristics
Crew: 2 (Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer)
Length: 18.6 m (61 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 64 ft unswept, 38 ft swept (19 m / 11.4 m)
Height: 16 ft (4.8 m)
Wing area: 565 ft² (54.5 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 64A209.65 mod root, 64A208.91 mod tip
Empty weight: 19,000 kg (42,000 lb)
Loaded weight: 28,000 kg (61,000 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 32,805 kg (72,900 lb)
Powerplant: 2× General Electric F110-GE-400 afterburning turbofans, 13,810 lbf
dry, 27,800 lbf with afterburner (72 kN / 126 kN) each
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 2.34, 1,544 mph at high altitude (2,485 km/h)
Range: 576 mi combat (927 km)
Service ceiling: 50,000+ ft (16,000+ m)
Rate of climb: 45,000+ ft/min (230+ m/s)
Wing loading: 113.4 lb/ft² (553.9 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.91
Armament
13,000 lb (5,900 kg) of ordnance including:
Guns: 1× M61 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling Gun
Missiles: AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air
Loading configurations:
2× AIM-9 + 6× AIM-54
2× AIM-9 + 2× AIM-54 + 3× AIM-7
2× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-54 + 2× AIM-7
2× AIM-9 + 6× AIM-7
4× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-54
4× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-7
Bombs: GBU-10, GBU-12, GBU-16, GBU-24, GBU-24E Paveway I/II/III LGB, GBU-31,
GBU-38 JDAM, Mk-20 Rockeye II, Mk-82, Mk-83 and Mk-84 series iron bombs
Avionics
Hughes AN/APG-71 radar
AN/ASN-130 INS, IRST, TCS
Unit Cost: US$38 million
