F-14 Tomcat operational history

Detailed history of F 14 operations

The Grumman F 14 Tomcat has served with the United States Navy and the Imperial Iranian Air Force, then the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force after 1979. It operated aboard U. S. aircraft carriers from 1974 to 2006 and remains in service with Iran. In depth knowledge of its service with Iran is relatively limited.

The F 14 primarily conducted air to air and reconnaissance missions with the U. S. Navy until the 1990s, when it was also employed as a long range strike fighter. It saw considerable action in the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf and was used as a strike platform in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq until its final deployment with the United States in 2006.

The Tomcat made its combat debut during Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of American citizens from Saigon, in April 1975. F 14As from Fighter Squadron 1 (VF 1) and VF 2, operating from Enterprise, flew combat air patrols over South Vietnam to provide fighter cover for the evacuation route.

VF 142 became the first Atlantic Fleet F 14 squadron to intercept a Soviet Tu 95 "Bear" on 23 April 1976. One of the routine tasks U. S. Navy F 14s performed was intercepting aircraft that approached U. S. carrier groups too closely. Soviet strategic bombers and maritime reconnaissance aircraft regularly patrolled near U. S. carriers during the Cold War and were often escorted away by F 14s. 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. During the height of the Cold War, a pair of Bear D aircraft would fly from the Kola peninsula to Cuba every week resulting in frequent intercepts as they passed along the Eastern coast of the United States. During the same time period, annual North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercise in the North Sea area elicited daily flights of Bear D aircraft operating in pairs to locate the aircraft carrier(s) in the area. Operations Northern Wedding and Ocean Safari typically brought at least one U. S. Navy carrier into the Greenland–Iceland–United Kingdom (GIUK) gap during the exercise prompting considerable monitoring by Soviet surface ships, submarines, and aircraft. Tomcats were utilized to provide around the clock fleet air defense intercepting not only Soviet Bear D aircraft, but also Tu 16 "Badger" maritime strike and M 4 "Bison", An 12 "Cub", and Il 38 "May" surveillance aircraft which routinely attempted to target aircraft carrier battle groups. In 1976 an F 14 operating from John F. Kennedy was lost overboard near Scapa Flow sinking in water 1890 feet (576 m) deep. The U. S. Navy, concerned that the Soviets might recover the wreckage and its AIM 54 Phoenix missiles, launched an underwater recovery operation costing several million dollars to salvage the wreckage.

F 14s provided combat air patrols during Operation Fluid Drive, the evacuation of U. S. citizens from Beirut, Lebanon in 1976. Between 1982 and 1986, F 14s performed combat air patrols and photo reconnaissance in support of the Multinational Force in Lebanon and U. S. naval operations near the country's coast. Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) missions were used to identify artillery batteries firing on the peacekeeping force and provided target intelligence for naval gunfire support offshore. From November 1983 to the Spring of 1984, F 14s from carriers Dwight D. Eisenhower with VF 142 and VF 143, USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) with VF 11 and VF 31 and Independence with VF 14 and VF 32 flew almost daily TARPS missions over Lebanon. On 3 December 1983, two VF 31 F 14As from John F. Kennedy came under fire from Syrian anti aircraft artillery and at least ten surface to air missiles while conducting a TARPS mission. The F 14s were not hit and returned safely to the carrier. The next day, Tomcats provided fighter cover for a retaliatory air strike on Syrian positions. On 14 December 1983, Syrian anti aircraft units fired surface to air missiles at a flight VF 32 Swordsmen TARPS F 14 Tomcats. The missiles missed and the U. S. responded with naval gunfire from the battleship New Jersey, destroying several anti aircraft sites. The Syrian Air Force avoided direct confrontation with U. S. forces, Two F 14As from VF 11 engaged eight Syrian MiGs over Lebanon; the section flew cover for a TARPS F 14 and was ready to open fire when the four MiGs that were being targeted flew back toward Syria. The other MiGs flew through without engaging.

In April 1980, F 14s from VF 41 and VF 84 participated in an effort to free American hostages in Iran. The attempted rescue was called off during the early stages of execution.

F 14s were involved in multiple U. S. military operations directed at Libya between 1980 and 1989. During this period, F 14s shot down four Libyan Air Force aircraft in two aerial engagements over the Mediterranean Sea. On 21 September 1980, three F 14s from John F. Kennedy challenged eight Libyan fighters attempting to intercept a U. S. Air Force RC 135 reconnaissance plane two hundred miles from the Libyan coast. The Libyans disengaged once confronted by the U. S. fighters. In the summer of 1981, F 14s from VF 41 and VF 84 performed combat air patrols in support of Freedom of Navigation operations in the Gulf of Sidra. Thirty five pairs of Libyan Air Force fighters and fighter bombers were intercepted and driven away from the U. S. fleet by F 14s from Nimitz and F 4 "Phantom IIs" from Forrestal on the first day of operations. The following day, on 19 August 1981, two Libyan Su 22 "Fitters" opened fire on two VF 41 F 14As with an AA 2 "Atoll" missile. The missile failed to hit either of the F 14s and the American pilots destroyed both Libyan aircraft with AIM 9L "Sidewinder" missiles. These were the first aerial combat victories in U. S. Navy F 14s and the first for the U. S. since the Vietnam War. From 24 July to 14 August 1983, F 14s assigned to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower were involved in Operation Arid Farmer, the code name for U. S. military assistance to Sudan, Egypt and the government of Hissène Habré of Chad during the Chadian Libyan conflict. F 14s performed combat air patrols over waters in and near the Gulf of Sidra during the operation. Several flights of Libyan fighters were intercepted with neither side opening fire. F 14As from VF 102 came under fire from Libyan SA 5 surface to air missiles over the Gulf of Sidra during Freedom of Navigation exercises as part of Operation Attain Document on 24 March 1986. The missiles did not hit the F 14s. Later the same day, F 14As from VF 33 intercepted two Libyan MiG 25 "Foxbats" heading toward the U. S. naval force. The Libyans were outmaneuvered by the Tomcats, which got behind the MiG 25s, but the Americans did not receive permission to open fire. These events and several more surface to air missile launches prompted the U. S. Navy to initiate Operation Prairie Fire. F 14 Tomcats provided fighter cover during the operation. On 15 April 1986, F 14s from VF 33, VF 102, VF 74 and VF 103 participated in Operation El Dorado Canyon, providing fighter cover for a series of air strikes against targets within Libya. On 4 January 1989, two F 14As from VF 32 assigned to John F. Kennedy shot down two Libyan MiG 23 "Floggers" off the coast of Libya. The Libyan fighters appeared to be maneuvering for a missile firing position when the Americans concluded they were under attack. The MiG 23s were shot down with AIM 7 "Sparrow" and AIM 9 Sidewinder missiles.

In April 1983, two F 14As from VF 102, operating from America, were fired on by Somali anti aircraft units with an SA 2 Guideline while on a photo reconnaissance mission over the port of Berbera in the Gulf of Aden. The F 14s were not hit and were able to complete the mission. Members of the U. S. National Security Council devised a plan that involved using Saratogas F 14s to intercept an aircraft that was to carry the hijackers to safety after U. S. intelligence discovered Egyptian authorities were preparing to put the hijackers on an EgyptAir 737 being flown to Tunisia. On 10 October 1985, F 14As were launched from Saratoga to perform the intercept. The 737's exact takeoff time, route and altitude were unknown; so the plan involved crisscrossing the airliners's expected flight path over the Mediterranean Sea with an E 2C identifying contacts for the F 14s to perform positive identification on. The F 14s positively identified the correct airliner after four interceptions at night. The Tomcats formed up on the EgyptAir 737 and a U. S. Navy EA 6B jammed all of the airliner's communications except to the F 14s and E 2C. With the implied threat of a shoot down, the 737's pilot chose to land at the NATO base in Sigonella, Sicily, where the airliner was quickly surrounded by U. S. and Italian security personnel.

From July 1987 to September 1988, F 14s performed combat air patrols and escort missions in support of Operation Earnest Will during the "Tanker War". On 8 August 1987, the first shots by the U. S. at Iranian forces took place when two VF 21 F 14As from Constellation opened fire on two Iranian F 4s that flew toward an American P 3C reconnaissance plane. The U. S. pilots observed two of the three AIM 7 Sparrows that were launched guiding toward one of the F 4s. The F 14 flight leader ordered an egress from the area after seeing one of the missiles explode but before any of the American aircrew could confirm whether the F 4 was actually shot down. U. S. spokesmen downplayed the incident, possibly to avoid public and Congressional backlash in the United States to the then recent operations in the Persian Gulf. Some official statements suggested the F 14s fired warning shots or that the radar contacts were not real.

Tomcats performed combat air patrols in protection of U. S. carrier battle groups and coalition forces deploying to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield. U. S. forces deploying to the theater did so initially under the protection of naval air cover. Tomcats provided escort protection for attack aircraft, long range defense of ships, combat air patrols and performed tactical reconnaissance missions with TARPS. A total of 4,124 sorties were flown by the 99 F 14s in theater. Compared to its U. S. Air Force counterpart, the F 15, there were greater limitations on the use of beyond visual range missiles for the F 14 during Operation Desert Storm. Navy fighters were not able to solve the strict rules of engagement (ROE) using most of their on board sensors and relied on outside clearance such as U. S. Air Force E 3 Sentries to receive permission to fire. According to accounts from Navy pilots, Navy fighters were called off from Iraqi aircraft so that other coalition fighters could engage them. Saudi F 15s were vectored instead of F 14s that were in a better position to shoot down the Iraqi fighters. On the first day of Desert Storm, two Iraqi MiG 21s attempting to escape from four VF 103 F 14Bs flew directly into a flight of four F/A 18s that shot down both MiGs. According to interviewed F 15 pilots, several kills by F 15s were made in a similar manner, with Iraqi aircraft being downed after retreating from Tomcats. In addition to the air to air duties, Tomcats supported the coalition's need for battle damage assessments (BDA) and locating Scud missile launch sites by performing tactical reconnaissance missions utilizing TARPS. These missions helped fill in intelligence gathering gaps when cloudy skies prevented the use of space based surveillance systems. Jones was recovered the following day, but Slade was captured and held as a prisoner of war until his release on 4 March 1991. This incident marked the only time a U. S. Navy F 14 was lost to hostile fire. One air to air kill was credited to the F 14 during the war. An Iraqi Mil Mi 8 helicopter was shot down by a VF 1 F 14A using an AIM 9 Sidewinder on 6 February 1991. The Tomcat faced an early retirement due to budget cuts following the end of both the Persian Gulf and Cold Wars in 1991. However, the retirement of the Grumman A 6 Intruder was impetus for the U. S. Navy to continue to use the F 14 by upgrading it with a precision strike capability.

Following Operation Desert Storm, F 14s patrolled the no fly zones that were established over Iraq for Operations Provide Comfort, Southern Watch and Northern Watch. F 14s performed combat air patrol, fighter escort, aerial reconnaissance and air interdiction missions in support of these operations until the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. TARPS equipped F 14s provided Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the ability to monitor Iraqi military activity on a daily basis in southern Iraq, making the Tomcat a primary asset in Operation Southern Watch. F 14s were often part of strike packages when conducting missions in support of Operation Southern Watch. During many of these missions, the Tomcat's long range allowed it to stay on station for twice as long as other U. S. Navy tactical aircraft. F 14s were able to remain on station after other Navy aircraft that made the ingress with them had to be replaced. The Tomcats would depart with the strike package after the pilots of the second set of aircraft declared that they needed fuel. The first night of the four day operation was conducted by the U. S. Navy only. On 19 December, the last day of the operation, Carl Vinson arrived in the Persian Gulf and VF 213 joined the air strikes, taking the F 14D into combat for the first time. In addition to performing strike missions, F 14s from both squadrons conducted escort combat air patrols for U. S. Air Force B 1B bombers that were committed to the operation beginning on 17 December. Many firsts for the F 14 were achieved during Desert Fox, including the first GBU 24 "Paveway III" laser guided bombs dropped in combat by the U. S. Navy, the first multiple GBU 24 drop by any platform in combat, the first combat use of the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) targeting pod system, the first autonomous delivery of a GBU 10/16/24 laser guided bomb by an F 14, and the first use of night vision devices in combat. On 9 September 1999, a VF 2 F 14 engaged an Iraqi MiG 23 with an AIM 54 Phoenix missile. Neither aircraft was damaged. F 14s also patrolled the no fly zones in Iraq during Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch from the 1990s until 2003.

In August and September 1995, NATO launched Operation Deliberate Force, and Theodore Roosevelt and its air wing supported the operation. F 14s from VF 14 and VF 41 participated in strikes. VF 41 is credited with being the first F 14 unit to drop laser guided bombs in combat when, on 5 September 1995, two F 14As attacked an ammunition dump in eastern Bosnia. The bomb's targets were identified by laser indicators from F/A 18s because the F 14 was not yet cleared to carry the LANTIRN pod. VF 41 alone logged 600 combat hours and 530 sorties during this cruise. VF 14 and VF 41 took part in Operation Allied Force, NATO's aerial campaign against Serbian operations in Kosovo, between 9 April 1999 and 9 June 1999. F 14s of VF 14 dropped 350 laser guided bombs, in addition to other air to ground ordnance. F 14s flew combat air patrol, escort, and strike missions; acted as Forward Air Controllers; and performed TARPS missions. VF 41 dropped the last bombs of the war on a dummy SA 9 surface to air missile launcher inside the Kosovo border near the peace signing site on 9 June 1999.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, no fewer than eight F 14 squadrons participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, flying long range missions from the Indian Ocean to strike targets around Afghanistan and conducting reconnaissance and ground support missions. From the start of Operation Enduring Freedom to the end of Operation Anaconda, F 14s from VF 14, VF 41, VF 102, VF 211, and VF 213 dropped more than of ordnance on targets. VF 11 and VF 143, alongside CVW 7, dropped of ordnance, both the "Red Rippers" and the "Pukin' Dogs" making history as they dropped JDAM bombs from the F 14 for the first time during combat. VF 103 arrived in Afghanistan in June 2002 when combat was scarce, and the "Jolly Rogers" did not get the opportunity to drop any bombs during the operation. During the war, VF 213 logged over 500 combat sorties, 2,600 combat hours, and dropped of ordnance (452 bombs) during their 10 weeks over Afghanistan; the "Black Lions" also had the distinct honor of dropping the first bombs of Operation Enduring Freedom. VF 102 dropped more bombs—680 of them, totaling —and logged more combat hours (more than 5,000) than any other F 14 unit that took part in the operation, and the unit dropped an additional of ordnance. VF 211 flew 1,250 combat sorties, logging 4,200 combat hours and dropping of ordnance. VF 14 led more strikes than any other squadron in CVW 8, and dropped 174 laser guided bombs, totaling and buddy lased 28 AGM 65 Maverick missiles and 23 laser guided bombs, and like their sister squadron VF 41, they flew the oldest jets in the fleet. VF 41 dropped more than of bombs (202 laser guided bombs) with an 82 percent hit rate, which was a level of accuracy that had never previously been achieved in the U. S. Navy.

F 14s from VF 2, VF 31, VF 32, VF 154, and VF 213 participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The F 14s flew 2,547 combat sorties and dropped 1,452 GBU, JDAM, and MK 82 bombs with just one lost jet (from engine failure). F 14s led strikes on Baghdad, attacking targets such as the Iraqi Ministry of Information's Salman Pak radio relay transmitter facility at Al Hurriyah (southwest of central Baghdad) with JDAM bombs. Another notable mission involved TARPS equipped F 14Ds dropping four Mark 82 bombs on Saddam Hussein's Presidential yacht Al Mansur (The Victor). F 14s also supported ground troops during the war and acted as Forward Air Controllers for other aircraft. An aircrew from VF 32 was involved in the worst friendly fire incident in the war when the crew attacked a U. S. Special Forces convoy in northern Iraq, believing they were Iraqi forces. During the F 14's last three years in service, the remaining units all deployed to the Persian Gulf region in support of the U. S. forces in Iraq. The final deployment for the F 14 was between September 2005 and March 2006 with VF 31 and VF 213. These two units collectively completed 1,163 combat sorties, totaling 6,876 flight hours. They dropped of ordnance during reconnaissance, surveillance, and close air support missions in support of the war in Iraq.

Before the Islamic Revolution the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi arranged to arm the Imperial Iranian Air Force with 80 Grumman F 14A Tomcats and 714 AIM 54 Phoenix missiles in a deal worth US$2 billion, out of which 274 were delivered for US$150 million, 150 embargoed after the revolution and the additional 290 cancelled. In the 1970s Pahlavi Iran looked for an air superiority fighter to counter Soviet air incursions of MiG 25 fighters. By September 1980, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) managed to make an increasing number of airframes operational, despite immense problems due to repeated purges of its officers. Some of those officers were executed; others were imprisoned, forced into exile, or forced to take early retirement. The IRIAF survived these times, and its Tomcats were to become involved in the war against Iraq, scoring their first kill on 7 September 1980. Following the overthrow of the Shah, most Iranian F 14 pilots and technicians trained in the United States fled from Iran, fearing their association with the Shah's regime, and their time in the United States would endanger them. Only two pilots out of the original flight class chose to remain in Iran. Their fears proved correct, and many of the original Iranian F 14 crews and technicians who remained were jailed or executed by the new regime. Eventually, several jailed F 14 pilots were released when war broke out with Iraq. The United States estimated that the IRIAF was able to keep between 15 and 20 F 14s operational by cannibalizing parts from other examples. The IRIAF claims a higher figure, and was able to assemble 25 aircraft for an 11 February 1985 fly over of Tehran. Despite the U. S embargo following the Islamic Revolution, Iran was able to acquire parts for its Tomcats; these came via the Iran Contra arms deal, collusion with Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A single F 14 was present during aerial flybys alongside other active combat aircraft by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force at the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Day on April 18, 2022.

GlobalSecurity indicates that Iran flew the F 14 in an AWACS type role. To counter, Iraqi Mirage F1 EQs flew low altitude profiles, popping up briefly to illuminate and launch missiles against the F 14s; several Tomcats were lost in this manner. GlobalSecurity also reports that less than 20 aircraft were still airworthy as of 2000, and cited one report that only seven can be airborne at one time. It was thought for many years that Iran used the fighter primarily as an airborne radar controller, escorted and protected by other fighters, but later information indicates this was incorrect. While the IRIAF did husband its fleet of F 14s, the aircraft were used aggressively when needed, even escorting strike packages deep into Iraqi airspace. Initially, the IRIAF F 14s flew intensive CAP patrols, some lasting nine hours, over main bases. IRIAF Tomcats often escorted tankers supporting strike packages heading into Iraq, scanning over the border with their radars and intercepting inbound Iraqi aircraft. With the AWG 9 radar and long range AIM 54 and medium range AIM 7 missiles, the Tomcats could be used as offensive weapons without leaving Iranian airspace. United States AWACS aircraft observed the downing of an Iraqi Tupolev Tu 22 "Blinder" bomber, and the downing of at least one F 14. Western sources estimate four kills against four to five losses; the official Iranian estimate is 35–45 kills, and 12 losses, all reportedly due to engine failure during combat.|group=N Six days later, Major Mohammad Reza Attaie shot down an Iraqi MiG 21 with an AIM 54 Phoenix while flying a border patrol. He is additionally credited with three probable kills, bringing his total to 11 air victories. These include four MiG 23s, two Su 22s, two MiG 21 and three Mirage F1s. Another notable Iranian pilot was Major Rahnavard, who on 16 February 1982 is reputed to have shot down four Iraqi fighter jets in two separate encounters over Kharg Island.