The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a fighter from the 1970s that is still relevant today.

In August 1981, in the Mediterranean, north of Libya, the US Air Force destroyed Libyan fighter pilots. For the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, this was the first success in air combat and thus began the story of an aircraft that became one of the most famous American fighters in history.

Tomcat appeared as a “response” from Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation to the Navy’s request for an aircraft capable of protecting aircraft carriers from bomber attacks. Experts expected a new aircraft to be created for the Navy and Air Force, but in the end, Navy Admiral Thomas Connolly was able to defend the idea of ​​developing a separate aircraft for the needs of the fleet of the air force.

Accordingly, the US Navy needs an aircraft that can combine the ability to take off and land when necessary on an aircraft carrier at maximum speed, but with the payload and maneuverability of a fighter aircraft. intercept. The result is an aircraft with variable-shaped wings that maximize lift during takeoff and minimize drag during high-speed flight.

The US Navy liked Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation’s project so much that it decided to skip the prototype phase altogether, starting production in 1969 and receiving the first new F-14s in 1972. Grumman The F-14 was named in honor of Admiral Thomas Connolly, who was the most enthusiastic supporter of the new aircraft and did everything to speed up its development.

Fourth generation twin jet carrier-based multirole fighter/interceptor with variable wing geometry can reach speeds of more than Mach 1 at sea level and more than Mach 2.34 at altitude thanks to two engines General Electric F110-GE-400 turbofan engine with Afterburner. In addition, the F-14 can fly about 2.5 thousand km without refueling, but experts believe that the combat range is 1.6 thousand km.

The aircraft was able to track 24 enemy aircraft up to 315 km away using an X-band AWG-9 pulse doppler radar that used one of the first microprocessors to appear on a fighter aircraft at the time. Powerful onboard systems can even direct long-range missiles at six separate targets simultaneously without losing sight of the remaining targets.

Besides, the F-14’s weapons are also reliable with many options for different target types and distances. With a total of 10 weapon attachment points and a payload of 6.5 tons, the Tomcat can effectively deal with fighters and bombers.