The
Grumman F-14 Tomcat is the U.S. Navy's carrier-based
long-range air defense aircraft. Already in design when the
naval version of the F-111 was cancelled in 1968, the prototype
first flew in 1970.
The swing-wing Tomcat's main armament consists of
six Hughes Phoenix air-to-air missiles controlled by the Hughes
AWG-9 radar. The AWG-9 can track 24 targets and selectively
engage six simultaneously in an all-weather environment.
Deployed with the fleet in 1973, the F-14 replaced the F-4
Phantom II.
In 1984, the F-14 was re-engined
with the General Electric F110-GE-400 and designated the
F-14D.
The Tomcat was retired from
the active U.S. Navy fleet on 22 September 2006.
