US Navy Retires The F-14 Tomcat

73 Responses to “US Navy Retires The F-14 Tomcat”

1. kevin burroughs
   Comment by kevin burroughs | 09/21/06 at 4:21 pm

   the f-14 has been a good jet to the navy my dad used to fly it but its no match for the F/A-18 Super Hornet

2. robert reed
   Comment by robert reed | 09/21/06 at 8:11 pm

   who cares if it matches the Hornet! It’s a sad end of an era, I grew up on NAS bases all over the U.S. (though my dad was an NFO on P-3s) and the F-14 is as old as I am and a familiar face who will be missed.

3. Michael
   Comment by Michael | 09/21/06 at 8:44 pm

   Yes this is very sad. I love the F-14. No other jet fighter will match the prowess the Tomcat has!

4. Hey Kevin
   Comment by Hey Kevin | 09/21/06 at 8:46 pm

   Hey Kevin, at least look up the specs before you comment. The only thing the super hornet does “better” is it’s cheaper to maintain and build. The F-14 outperforms the Hornet in just about every other way imaginable.

5. Gar Travis
   Comment by Gar Travis | 09/21/06 at 8:57 pm

   This website is the most comprehensive in regard to the F-14 retirement.

   http://www.tomcat-sunset.org/

6. Scott Meredith
   Comment by Scott Meredith | 09/21/06 at 9:08 pm

   The F-14 Tomcat was designed to be an interceptor, and can still catch and blow any other plane out of the air (with the possible exceptions of the F-117 and B-2).

   The F/A-18 was designed to be a “Jack of all Trades”, and we all know how many of those Jack is the master of…. F/A-18s are a cost-cutting measure, Not the Ultimate Air Superiority Fighter that the Tomcat was and still is today.

7. Justin
   Comment by Justin | 09/21/06 at 9:21 pm

   In terms of a strategic force, dog fights are a dying factor of war. The modern war is now fought out of secrecy and the ability to be undetected. How come there is no mention of the F-22 Raptor? Is that because it’s not Navy?

8. ben
   Comment by ben | 09/21/06 at 11:45 pm

   “How come there is no mention of the F-22 Raptor?”

   Because it is a ugly mofo of a plane?

9. Tony
   Comment by Tony | 09/22/06 at 12:08 am

   They said that dog fights were a thing of the past when they built the F4 phantom. They didn’t even install machine guns on them. This was proven wrong then, and will continue to be the case in the future. All ’smart’ missle systems have counter measures, and all counter measures have counter measures, while the only way to avoid a bullet is to not be in it’s way.

10. Ferd
    Comment by Ferd | 09/22/06 at 1:21 am

    And just how good is the F/A-18 - take a look at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aLRNQrfIXc

11. k-fed
    Comment by k-fed | 09/22/06 at 3:30 am

    the F-14 was so ghey it had to be retired

12. Timberlake
    Comment by Timberlake | 09/22/06 at 4:34 am

    In fact, tomcats are still very much alive. Tomcat project (Apache sideproject) has immortalized tomcat. Wasn’t tom cruise flying tomcat in the army? Is that where the name comes from?

13. Danger Zone
    Comment by Danger Zone | 09/22/06 at 4:53 am

    Iceman: You two really are cowboys.

    Maverick: What’s your problem, Kazanski?

    Iceman: You’re everyone’s problem. That’s because every time you go up in the air, you’re unsafe. I don’t like you because you’re dangerous.

    Maverick: That’s right, Ice… man. I am dangerous.

14. Ted K.
    Comment by Ted K. | 09/22/06 at 5:08 am

    It’s about time. Every time I see one of these things, I think about “Top Gun” which makes me think of Tom Cruise which makes me ill. Good riddance.

15. Phillip
    Comment by Phillip | 09/22/06 at 5:14 am

    While the F-22 is one of my favorates, its not being mentioned because of the f-35 (commonly called the JSF) The f-22 (im sad to say this) seems to have been more of a “lets see if we can do it” plane then the killer it was meant to be. as for the f-14. I loved this plane, even the profile of the plane said run… i will miss this plane soo much, but atleast i have a model of it in my living room

16. tlavalle
    Comment by tlavalle | 09/22/06 at 5:15 am

    The YF-22 Raptor is the replacement for the F-15 strike Eagle, and there is only 1 squadron, as of yet.

17. TJ
    Comment by TJ | 09/22/06 at 5:30 am

    I have always been a big fan of the ole F14, she will be missed.

    Justin - the article is about the F14’s retirement, why should it mention the Raptor? … Now, perhaps mentioning the F35-JSF would have been appropriate …

    /TJ

18. Steve
    Comment by Steve | 09/22/06 at 5:37 am

    RE: #7, only when we have 100% foolproof IFF and ROE that allow its use will dogfights unnecessary. We’ve had the weaponry to kill BVR for two generations of fighters, but tangles can still occur (when there’s an adversary that has 1) advanced fighters and 2) skilled pilots who are 3) dumb enough to challenge the best).

19. Wesley Parish
    Comment by Wesley Parish | 09/22/06 at 6:19 am

    At first I couldn’t believe that the F-14 is being replaced by the F/A-18. I was made to believe by seeing it repeated at every website that mentions it.

    What are their respective ranges? Ferry and combat? Combat payloads?

    This is the Navy, frgodsake! Too short legs on a Navy plane and before you know it, you’ll be needing a manual on how-to-walk-back to the ship.

20. Phil
    Comment by Phil | 09/22/06 at 7:00 am

    the f-14 was one of my favorite non-AF aircraft, she was big, yet deadly, and she could scare the living crap out of anyone in her path. but my ultimate favorite is the A-10, now nothing can really compare to her power and force. she can sneek along the ground at just under a few hundred feet and pop up and blow the crap out of a column of tanks. ahh i love to hear that 50cal gatlin gun going off. brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr lol

21. Jimmah
    Comment by Jimmah | 09/22/06 at 7:26 am

    Didn’t the A-10 Warthog have a 30mm cannon?
    Anywho. The Tomcat will surely be missed. I would hate for it to leave. The F-14 had a charm all it’s own.

22. Rolo
    Comment by Rolo | 09/22/06 at 7:41 am

    I’m definitely going miss the F-14. I had no idea it was already pretty much phased out of service. I remember seeing them a few years ago on my dad’s carrier. As an air superiority aircraft I’d definitely have to say it’s better than the F/A-18, but in this day and age what country will we fight against that has fighters capable of tangling with NATO jets? Russia is out of the picture, and war with China is as unlikely as anything else. In today’s world we usually end up destroying an enemies air force with cruise missiles or stealth bombers before they can even get off the ground.

23. BILL RIGNEY
    Comment by BILL RIGNEY | 09/22/06 at 8:07 am

    IT’S CALLED POLITICS SPORTS FANS. IT HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME. THE F-14 IS MORE EXPENSIVE TO OPERATE. THAT IS WHY IY’S BEING RETIRED! THE F-18 ONLY HAS BETTER AVIONICS. AND THOSE CAN BE UPDATED IN ANY AIRCRAFT. DIPSTICKS!

24. Phaltran
    Comment by Phaltran | 09/22/06 at 8:22 am

    No way to replace it.
    The Tomcat was (is to my knowledge) the ONLY plane that can carry Phoenix missles. Are those being retired, too? Tomcats carried the heaviest combat payload of any fighter, had the longest range and was the fastest fighter/tactical plane in existence.

    F-18’s are fine for air-to-air combat and small strike runs, but they do not have the range or payload capabilities. B-2’s can carry the payload and have the range, but they require support of fighters if they run into enemy aircraft.

    Poor move, IMHO on the Navy’s/government’s part here. Retiring a machine that has no equal or replacement.

    Farewell, Tomcat. YOU were what made the Top Gun program and pilots possible.

25. Ray
    Comment by Ray | 09/22/06 at 8:26 am

    The F/A 18 is a piece of junk especially compared to the Tomcat. The only thing the hornet truely has going for it is that it is smaller. The F-14 is a truely remarkable plane that really had no end to how far it could be upgraded. This is a sad day for military pilots. It figures we scrap the best air to air missle and now we scrap the plane that used it. Our government makes no sence.

26. Lucas Mearian
    Comment by Lucas Mearian | 09/22/06 at 8:30 am

    When I first boarded the USS America (CVA-66) in 1982 for duty, the last of the F-4 Phantoms from the Vietnam era were still aboard, but they were quickly being decommissioned and the Tomcat dominated as the fighter for the carrier fleet. Now they’re retiring them. First they retire and sink my ship, now this. It makes me feel old.
    But, I have many fond memories of watching those magnificent jets, with their after burners blazing, being catapulted off the flight deck and into the night air over the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. Those planes served our country well.

27. MovieWatcher
    Comment by MovieWatcher | 09/22/06 at 8:40 am

    To the person that posted the F18 crash video. Seems like you might wantto check what the video is about. It was a dummy bomb that got dropped and flew up. Seems like a problem with the guys that made the bomb vs the f18. Still the Tomcat will be missed

28. Steve Orlandella
    Comment by Steve Orlandella | 09/22/06 at 8:50 am

    Yes, the Hornet is smaller and cheaper and easier to maintain. So what! We are losing an icon.
    What is the one plane you see in every promo for the miliary channel? What is the one plane you see in every CNN navy story?
    What is the most popular aircraft model of all time? Perhaps it is time for her to go, after all, the bastards gave Miramar to the Marines.
    Regardless the first word, and the last word in naval defense has always been, and will always be, TOMCAT!

29. Rogue Reserch
    Comment by Rogue Reserch | 09/22/06 at 8:56 am

    The Tomcat is leaving service, but it wont be gone. Bet on that. Mothball squadron’s will be waiting to be reactivated if ever needed.
    And if things keep going this way. They will.
    F-18? fine. Its no F-14. Just as the F-22 is no F-15. Hell, the YF-22 was the lesser of the YF-23. and on’t even get me started about the late lamented Tigershark…

30. wesman
    Comment by wesman | 09/22/06 at 9:00 am

    so I have to ask: now that the navy doesn’t use these things - what happens to them? scrapped? auction?? I want one

31. John
    Comment by John | 09/22/06 at 9:18 am

    but the military has done this before. I remember them mothballing the A-10 before the first Gulf War. Hmmm…seems to me the A-10’s old platform worked nicely, thank you. Maybe they’ll eventually see their mistake and bring the F-14 back…the Navy is steeped in politics, like any other branch, but I think they’re better at recovering from their mistakes (and this is from a AF guy with 11 years in service)

32. Silverfir
    Comment by Silverfir | 09/22/06 at 9:35 am

    this is just a sign wich means that your country is weakening more and more each day. i’m happy for that but i’ll be missing that beauty :S

33. Russ
    Comment by Russ | 09/22/06 at 9:40 am

    I flew these birds in the 1st Gulf war… Wonderful plane and it’s a terrible shame they’re being retired.

    My heart says the Tom’s should stay… alas, the brain says that in today’s environment, a jack-of-all-trades (fighter/bomber/sub hunter/tanker) plane that we Tomcat drivers all called ‘girly’ is the right part for today’s light duty job.

    Tomcat’s are also hard to maintain… Note the sweep wings and variable geometry intakes (which allow it’s Mach 2 + speeds) vs. the much simpler Hornet.

34. prr643
    Comment by prr643 | 09/22/06 at 10:02 am

    History repeats itself, the navy retires an aircraft without a real replacment. The same was true when they retired the A-6. The F/A-18 is a great aircraft, but as was said in other posts, jack of all trades, master of none.

35. Tom
    Comment by Tom | 09/22/06 at 10:18 am

    I used to be an ECMO on EA-6B Prowlers mid 80s-90s, and we had a standing joke - Why are Tomcat crews always balding? Because they flew on a Prowlers wing. (We’d be shielding them with our jamming, putting out a helluva lot of ‘trons.)
    The Tom’s an awesome plane - she’ll be missed.

36. Karl Lemmon
    Comment by Karl Lemmon | 09/22/06 at 10:55 am

    Whatever few things you can say about the F-18,including common brake failures, replacing the F-14 is not one of them.The Hornet will never replace the Tomcat in ability or otherwise.

37. Chris
    Comment by Chris | 09/22/06 at 11:00 am

    I was an ordnanceman in the early 90’s working on these beauties. I can tell you that there is no feeling in the world like being under the wing of a Tomcat when it goes into zone 5 (full afterburner) before takeoff. It truly was the sound of freedom.
    Every air show for VIP’s that came aboard CV-62 always ended with a Tomcat breaking the sound barrier 200-300 feet from the port side of the ship. I feel honored to have been apart of that special community and I am truly saddened to see the curtains close on this chapter of naval aviation.
    IYAOYAS

38. LUIS R. OLAZO MERCADO
    Comment by LUIS R. OLAZO MERCADO | 09/22/06 at 11:04 am

    I’M A PERUVIAN AND EVER IF IS POSSIBLE READ THE NEWSWEEK AND LIFE,TIME AND READER DIGEST.iTHINK SO BUT THE WAR WITH THE ARABIAN EARTH IS VERY LONG SINCE THE camp DAVID, IRAN IRAK,IRAK AND THE DISPARITION OF THE AFGANS SINCE 83 PAST UNTIL 2006,I’M NOT AT POLITICIAN. BUIT IS A GOOD WAY TO CHANGE THE WAR IN THE ORDER OR THE PEACE THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE AT FEW TIME.CHEM ENG.PERU
    SOUTH AMERICA

39. Wendy
    Comment by Wendy | 09/22/06 at 11:08 am

    Well, that’s the life of a military aircraft. They introduce a promising design with bugs, glitches, and technical limitations due to immature technology; then they fix the bugs and glitches; then they develop the technology to the point where the aircraft should have been in the first place; then they retire it and get a new plane full of bugs, glitches, and immature technology.

40. James
    Comment by James | 09/22/06 at 11:24 am

    I am a retired Navy man and I was in a F-14 squadron for 4 years. I worked on the A and the D models. I liked the aircraft very much and I even worked on the actual plane that Tom Cruise was shown flying in “Topgun”. She will sure be missed.

41. Michael
    Comment by Michael | 09/22/06 at 12:16 pm

    Most of thes post sound like there knowledge is based on what they saw in a very unrealistic movie (Top Gun) or what they have read on the side of a model kit. The F14 was a cold war interceptor built around the phoenix missle system. It was updated to do ground attack because there are no enimies left like the former Soviet Union that we need to have long range air defense for. As a ground attack fighter it is to big and clumsy for close air support (To big of a target) You can’t drop bombs at mach 2. Its size was determined by old technology - engines - non composite materials. The new technology offers greater versatility in a smaller more nimble package. The Blue Angels use the FA18 because of its performance. As for long range interception - the Modern missle cruiser can do a mutch better job without puting two pilots in harms way. In fact - the trend will and is leaning towards unmanded weapons systems for most combat situations.

42. Don
    Comment by Don | 09/22/06 at 12:30 pm

    I hate change and progress too. I wish everything thing just remained the same. Maybe go back to the 7th century, those were great times. In the mean time I think I will just go back to my corner and wet my pants.

43. Knowitall
    Comment by Knowitall | 09/22/06 at 12:31 pm

    Ditto to #41. Worked on’em. And Flew in the NAVY. Was Enlisted so did’nt fly the Tomcat, But was an aviator and am now own a busines that works closely with the military and with aviation programs. So I know & Don’t tell me I dont. Most of you guys who replied to this are sitting in front of a computer all day and have never flown jackshit and wouldn’t be able to interpret half the performace data that is out there on the two aircraft. The F-14 was a good aircraft in its day but that was yesterday. Now, Have a good day.

44. Jeff
    Comment by Jeff | 09/22/06 at 12:50 pm

    As long as we tuck them in to bed nicely and store them in the desert for a while, I’ll be able to sleep at night.

    Let’s hope enough stay flying to make rounds on the airshow circuits!

45. Collin
    Comment by Collin | 09/22/06 at 1:03 pm

    Michael, weapon platforms that offer domiance in an area of combat are always more expensive. But always worth it. The F-14 was a naval superiority fighter that is unequalled by the F-18 or any other current US Naval fighter. True, unmanned fighers might do a better job, but where are they? They aren’t here yet and won’t be for a little while. I wouldn’t be fleet security entirely on missile cruisers either. It is a cost benefit decision. The F-18’s are cheaper. But without the A-6 and the F-14 we have a less capable naval force. And that is sad, but perhaps with current budget constraints it was the only way to go.

46. Tim
    Comment by Tim | 09/22/06 at 1:11 pm

    I have a buddy that flies the Eagle and has done the AF’s version of topgun. The only plane the F-15 can’t smoke routinely given an even start? The F-18 Hornet. The ‘Cat was a great plane in its day, but it was ’60s technology; time to move on.

47. MichaelB
    Comment by MichaelB | 09/22/06 at 1:32 pm

    Innovations and technology comes around and goes around. Tomcats may not be needed nowadays, but when times change someone, somewhere will be dusting off those blueprints and wondering about the next generation, with the latest materials, engines, avionics and weapons.
    Tomcat II may one day fly.

48. Victor Ciminera
    Comment by Victor Ciminera | 09/22/06 at 1:36 pm

    I worked a total of 38 years as an engineer at the “Iron Works”, aka Grumman. As a young man I had the privilage to work on the initial design of the F-14. Under the great leadership of Mike Pelehach, we produced a legend. Now I and the Tomcat are retired. “Any time baby”.

49. Lee
    Comment by Lee | 09/22/06 at 1:44 pm

    I’m sad to see it go only because I grew up watching TopGun and still think its a great aircraft. But Its time has passed and the F-18 is probably the better aircraft for thejob now.

    Besides now that it’s being retired I would imagin that it will be much more likely that we civilians can get our hands on them some day.

50. bob
    Comment by bob | 09/22/06 at 1:58 pm

    The F-14 is dead, Long live the Tomcat!

51. FoxBat
    Comment by FoxBat | 09/22/06 at 2:04 pm

    Some of the comments really makes me believe that how easily can you manipulate the population of this country and how wrong are the facts presented to the citizens of this once great country. F-14 was an exceptional fighter intercepter but nowhere near the MiG-29’s ability. There were news articles dedicated to this plane in the western press and how grave a danger it was to the free world during seventies.Janes’ gave this thing a five star even during the mid seventies. So please dont call F-14 the best because it was not as there were a number of modifications made to counter the threat of MiG-29’s. Its ironic that people think that everything coming out of this country is considered the best but most of the time its not. Check out the Janes’ mid seventies issue and u will realize that how misinformed u have been.

52. Michael
    Comment by Michael | 09/22/06 at 2:34 pm

    Response to post 45. Thanks for making my point - WE don’t need an air superiority fighter because no one else has anything dedicated to that either. We need a multi-role combat plane that can fight it’s way into a target and put a bomb in the hotspot that is pinning down are troops one block over! The reason the Tomcat is out because its technology is not up to the need of the weapons being deliverred. Trying to make it fit those specs is too expensive. If it was just a price issue then we would have never gone ahead with production of the F22 at 100 mil. each. The F14 was ahead of its time - that is why it was not retired long ago. As a ground attack aircraft it is HUGE vissualy and on radar and those huge engines also put out a HUGE heat signature. Sorry - no mach 2+ migs to hunt or bear bombers - we just don’t need that plane. That being said - it does have the coolest profile on the deck.

53. michael wall
    Comment by michael wall | 09/22/06 at 2:48 pm

    The F-14’s were the best jets
    I ever known back in 1974 when my Brother was on the JF Kennedy aircraft ship,when I was a kid.

54. robert
    Comment by robert | 09/22/06 at 3:38 pm

    Not to mention that the Tomcat profile must be the inspiration for the VF1 Valkyrie in the Robotech series… Great bird indeed. http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/Veritech/valkyrie_gallery.html

55. rdgrunr
    Comment by rdgrunr | 09/22/06 at 4:41 pm

    have any of you people actually done any research on this subject? I shall enlighten you.iwas in the navy yes i was in an 18 squadron(go wildcats).Yes the F14 is a very good plane,but the F18 is more manuverable an yes just as fast.now what they done was made the hornet wider and longer,put the same square intakes and the same engines as the 14 onto the 18 there by giving the F18 the same flight range and the same weapons capabilities as the F14,it also had the effect of making the F14 OBSOLETE.And tadaaa the navy now has the super hornet,long may it reign.

56. Fred
    Comment by Fred | 09/22/06 at 4:45 pm

    Keep an eye out on the secondary market. I imagine they be selling them off in the near future to other countries or for parts. If I had a pilot’s license and a bunch of money I’d take one. Along w/ an A10. Any ideas? lol

57. rdgrunr
    Comment by rdgrunr | 09/22/06 at 4:49 pm

    P.S. for those of ya’ll crying bout the A-6,the F-18E aka(the super hornet)replaced them as well

58. john spesh
    Comment by john spesh | 09/22/06 at 6:03 pm

    Hey folks! Back in the day when the best part of Long Island, New York was a proud company called Grumman… we worshipped the F-14 as if we each owned one.I will never forget how proud my Dad was to be a part of the living legend that Grumman was in those fine days, and how proud I was of him. Now that both my Dad , and the F-14 are gone, this world will never be the same. We would go to the annual Grumman airshows out in Calverton, and I can still remember the roar of those jet engines as that beautiful bird flew by with its wings swept back for maximum speed.I will never forget the proud look on his face, I honestly think he had more fun than I did. Long live Grumman , the Tomcat, and the U.S of A … and , thanks Dad.

59. Hector Mendez
    Comment by Hector Mendez | 09/22/06 at 6:34 pm

    Gentlemen, lets get some things cleared up:

    1) The F-14 came into being because a) Air Combat Maneouvering turned out to be very much alive by 1968, and b) we thought the Russians had a real winner in the MiG 25.

    2) The F-18 came into being as part of a competition set up y the Air Force in 1971 for a low cost complementary fighter to the F-15 (which came into being because of a and b of comment 1). The flyoff was in 1973 between the YF-16 and the YF-17 Cobra.

    3) In 1979, McDonnel Douglas, left out of the Navy fighter bomber business by Grumman, paired up with Northtrop to turn the YF-17 into a low cost complementary fighter bomber to the F-14 and the A-6.

    4) In 1983 the first YF-18s began trials with the Navy and Marines. The Marines loved it, being smaller and simpler to maintain than the F-4 and the F-14, and it could double as a bomber.

    5) In 1998 the Navy begins to talk about the F-18 replacing the F-14 as an interim measure while a newer and easier to maintain replacement for the F-14 was developed. The Navy had a keen eye on the Northrop YF-23 Black Widow, a stealth fighter prototype competing with the F-22 Lightning II to replace the Air Force’s F-15. Incredibly, the YF-23 lost out in the flyoffs to the YF-22 only because of the latters ability to vector its engines thrust! The YF-23 maintained a higher sortie rate, was faster and nimbler and stealthier than the YF-22. No YF-23 for the Navy, either.

    6) In 1999 the Navy begins to systematicaly deprieve the F-14 from weapon upgrades for weapons developed, designed and tested around and by the F-14, like the AIM-120 (I remember seeing F-14s test firing prototypes in 1983 off Pt. Mogu). For example, an attempt was made in 2000 to not install the software upgrade necessary to fire the AIM-120 from the F-14, citing that the electronics suite of the F-14 could not handle the load (did I mentioned I had seen the things being fired by F-14s during its development?).Faulty/prone to catch fire wiring (true) was cited as a major reason to let the F-14 force to be reduced by attrition without procuring replacements.

    7) The interim solution goes super with the F-18-E/F twin seat versions of the Hornet, developed as a replacement of both the F-14 and the A-6. Still, the air interception radar suite of the Super Hornet is not as precise or long ranged as the F-14’s, nor its ground attack guidance suite is as precise as the A-6’s.

    8) The F-22 raptor is a very good aircraft with too many bugs built in, and too expensive to deploy as a replacement for the F-15, which can still shoot it down in a dogfight.

    9) To my frien from the Wildcats: The F-18 is not much more maneouvrerable than the F-14, even with the 25% increase in wing area of the E/F versions, and it is nowhere near as fast. In ground attack configuration, the F-14s max is 1.9 Mach. In air interception configuration, it is 2.31 Mach, with the 6 AIM-54C Phoenix and full fuel load (84,280 lbs. gross). In the F-110E you had a 29,000 lbs wet thrust, which the F-404 can reach only in dreams. It is just as what the Army is doing, and the Air Force is doing: lets substitute the M-1A2s with Strykers, and let go of the A-10s, because now we will only engage poorer, less advanced countries…until China or India decide that it is its turn to be the supreme global power. Then what? Oh, by the way, I used to be in the Navy when all this was happening, in the 1980s.

60. Hugh
    Comment by Hugh | 09/22/06 at 8:24 pm

    I read that the Navy is coming out with a tanker version of the F/A-18. What next, an AWACS version? How about a COD version? I have an artist friend…maybe I can convince her to do artist renditions of these new variants of the F/A-18!

61. Brian
    Comment by Brian | 09/22/06 at 8:51 pm

    If the F-14 is (was) that great, why is it that the only other country in the world to use it is Iran? And when was the last time an F-14 actually shot another modern day fighter down?

62. Donald G
    Comment by Donald G | 09/22/06 at 9:13 pm

    Hey you guys, we have to save money some way so that we can support this war the Bush regime thrust us into!

63. bubbleentity
    Comment by bubbleentity | 09/23/06 at 5:36 am

    Don’t under estimate the slower dogfighters, …
    The US armed forces hate going after the older designs, because a pilot who *knows* the design he is flying can put his craft in places where the targetting systems of the op force are uneffective, and can turn faster then their opponent. This means that they are forced to engage as missle range, and hope that they get a kill on the first pass, because once the older bird is behind the newer one, it wins ( within limits of course, i wouldn’t try a spitfire against a hornet in anything other than an airshow)

64. Michael
    Comment by Michael | 09/23/06 at 9:02 am

    I don’t know of any modern US fighter(post vietnam) that has ever been shot down by an opposing fighter. It’s just not that common of an engagement. One US aircraft carrier has a larger attack wing than most indiviual contries these days. Ground to air technology can shoot down anything in the air with greater accuracy than another aircaft and that is has been proven in every confrontation from Vietnam on. Considedering the diversity of modern combat all around the world for the US it makes sense to have a multi-role aircraft. Also, not having a diversity of aircraft for everykind of mission keeps tha advantage because the carrier wing can take on any task with all its attack wing. There are no enimies that can fill the skies with opposing aircaft to make a dog fight even a reality anymore except China and they are not realy an enimy (politically) anymore. We need an aircraft that can support small ground force tactics - the F/A 18 can do that verywell. In the first gulf war almost all the opposing aircraft shot down were “older design” migs or mirrages. And most of them were shot down BVR before they even knew they were being tracked. All our losses were do to anit- air missles and ground fire.

65. timma
    Comment by timma | 09/23/06 at 10:11 am

    all in all the f-14 was THE best navy fighter/interceptor of all time and kicks the f-18’s ass and everyother plane by far and u no it.

66. timma
    Comment by timma | 09/23/06 at 10:14 am

    all in all the f-14 was the best fighter/interceptor of all time and kicks the f-18’s ass by a long shot and every plane out there and u no it

67. johnpaul
    Comment by johnpaul | 09/23/06 at 10:15 am

    The F-14 Tomcat is in a class by itself…u ask any Navy pilot. The reason y d Tomcat has only five enemy aircraft kills under its belt is that they (enemy aircraft) all flee when d F-14 pops up on its rader coz they already know whats next..hell!!!

68. 80s man
    Comment by 80s man | 09/23/06 at 4:02 pm

    I remember the 80s! Every pretty girl wetted their pants when Tom Cruise was flying Tomcat! I wanted to be like Tom Cruise and I got their attention as well.

69. John
    Comment by John | 09/27/06 at 9:41 am

    Hector Mendez is correct in comment #1. The F-14 was built to bethe best air superiority(read “dog fighter”) on the planet and it still is. The only problem with that is there are no more close combat dogfights. The long range air-to-air missile systems in use today negate that type of air combat.
    As far as a replacement for it? There is none. The F-18 air frame was built with upgrades in mind to last well into the first half of the 22nd century. And, as far as A6/AWACS replacements go, the EA-18 Growler is far superior to both those planes combined. There is no need to worry about the USA’s air superiority believe me.

70. Eric
    Comment by Eric | 09/28/06 at 10:48 am

    Rising costs of the F-14 are the main reason for her demise. I’m a believer in the saying that, “Freedom isn’t free.” I’m a submariner and the only reason that I’m not an airdale is because I saw the impending decommisioning of the best fighter to ever take the sky. Quoting retired F-14 pilot Dale Snodgrass, “The F-18 is like a Honda Accord, reliable and cheap to maintain. The F-14 is a Muscle Car, and every pretty girl in town wants to date the guy who drives one.” Cheaper and newer is not always better. I agree that we’ll see them again at some point, history always repeats itself and so we will need the “Cold Warrior” to bail us out when we need to knock a new threat out of the air from 100 miles out. I was fortunate to see VF-31 fly the last squadron of Tomcats over Oceana last year when I went to the All Navy shooting competition at Dam Neck Annex. They still make the hairs on your neck stand up on end! I also got to see them do a fly over of PNC park before this year’s home run derby. That was a rare treat that my family got to enjoy as well. The Iowa class battleships were said to be “over the hill” as well. They proved to the US Navy’s longest serving warships at over 60 years each. I believe that the ‘Cats will fly for us again to let us feel warm and safe in our beds at night. But if I’m wrong, “Tomcats by choice, Hornets by mandate! Anytime, Anywhere baby!”

71. zac burroughs-marks
    Comment by zac burroughs-marks | 10/05/06 at 7:55 pm

    i have a modell of the f-14 in my room he he

72. LC Fehr
    Comment by LC Fehr | 10/08/06 at 12:32 pm

    I feel like I just attended an online funeral…It’s sad that the TomCat is retiring. That plain always looked like it commanded the skies. But I’m open to change…The F/A-18 Super Hornet mainly.

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