#Tws home inventory series

Connolly, as the nickname 'Tom's Cat' had already been widely used within the program during development to reflect Connolly's involvement, and now the moniker was adapted into an official name in line with the Grumman tradition of giving its fighter aircraft feline names. The name 'Tomcat' was partially chosen to pay tribute to Admiral Thomas F. Grumman narrowed down these designs to its 303 design. In 1966, the Navy awarded Grumman a contract to begin studying advanced fighter designs. Weight and performance issues plagued the program, and with the F-111B in distress, Grumman began studying improvements and alternatives. Lacking recent experience in naval fighters, the F-111's main contractor, General Dynamics, partnered with Grumman to provide the experience needed to develop a naval version. Their concerns were overridden, and the project went ahead as the F-111B. The Navy strenuously opposed the TFX as it feared compromises necessary for the Air Force's need for a low-level attack aircraft would adversely impact the aircraft's performance as a fighter. The TFX had adequate speed, range and payload for the FAD role, but was designed as a tactical bomber that lacked the maneuverability and overall performance that the Navy expected. McNamara wanted 'joint' solutions to service aircraft needs to reduce development costs and had already directed the Air Force to buy the F-4 Phantom II, which was developed for the Navy and Marine Corps. Air Force by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The Navy was directed to participate in the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) program with the U.S. The Navy was still looking for a long-range defensive aircraft, but one with higher performance than the Missileer. Studies into this concept led to the Douglas F6D Missileer project of 1959, but this large subsonic aircraft appeared to have little ability to defend itself once it fired its missiles, and the project was cancelled in December 1961. They outlined the idea of a Fleet Air Defense (FAD) aircraft with a more powerful radar and longer range missiles than the F-4 Phantom II to intercept both enemy bombers and missiles at very long range. Navy sought a long-range, high-endurance interceptor to defend its carrier battle groups against long-range anti-ship missiles launched from the jet bombers and submarines of the Soviet Union. The F-111B was designed to fulfill the carrier-based interceptor role, but had weight and performance problems, and was not suited to the types of aerial combat that were predominant over Vietnamīeginning in the late 1950s, the U.S. The F-14 remains in service with Iran's air force, having been exported to Iran under the Pahlavi dynasty in 1976. Several retired F-14s have been put on display across the US. Navy on 22 September 2006, having been supplanted by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Iran claimed their F-14s shot down at least 160 Iraqi aircraft during the war (only 55 of these confirmed, according to historian Tom Cooper), while 16 Tomcats were lost, including seven losses to accidents. In the 1980s, F-14s were used as land-based interceptors by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War, where they saw combat against Iraqi warplanes. The Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night ( LANTIRN) pod system was added in the 1990s and the Tomcat began performing precision ground-attack missions.

Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor, and tactical aerial reconnaissance platform into the 2000s. Navy aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65), replacing the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The F-14 first flew on 21 December 1970 and made its first deployment in 1974 with the U.S.

#Tws home inventory series

The F-14 was the first of the American Teen Series fighters, which were designed incorporating air combat experience against MiG fighters during the Vietnam War. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after the collapse of the General Dynamics-Grumman F-111B project. The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. In service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force