The F-14 Tomcat is an American twin-engine, two-seat fighter aircraft built by Grumman with variable-sweep wings that could pivot to suit slow carrier landings or high-speed intercept flight, entering United States Navy service in the 1970s as its primary carrier-based air superiority and fleet defense fighter. Armed with the long-range AIM-54 Phoenix missile and built around a powerful onboard radar, it was designed to intercept Soviet bombers and missiles far from the carrier group it protected, and it remained the Navy's frontline fighter for roughly three decades before retirement, continuing in service with Iran, the only export customer, well after the American type was withdrawn.
Facts
SignificanceServed as the US Navy fleet air defense interceptor and air superiority fighter for three decades, was exported to Iran, and remains in Iranian service after being retired by the US Navy in 2006. 1 Manufacturer or Builder In the Other Atlases
- Also in Business Atlas: Grumman, manufactured by there.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Grumman F-14 Tomcat
WikipediaLead paragraph, sentence 1: builder and airframe type
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, tandem two-seat, twin-tail, all-weather-capable variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft.
Lead paragraph: first flight date sentence
The F-14 first flew on 21 December 1970 and made its first deployment in 1974 with the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, replacing the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.
Lead paragraph: US Navy retirement date sentence
The Tomcat was retired by the U.S. Navy on 22 September 2006, supplanted by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
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