Key Points and Summary - Even after its U.S. retirement in 2006, the iconic F-14 Tomcat lived on as the prized possession of the Iranian Air Force. -Fearing that spare parts would fall into Tehran's ...

Key Points and Summary - Cut off from U.S. spares after 1979, Iran kept its 79 F-14 Tomcats flying via improvisation, cannibalization, and sourcing—then used them to shape the air war. -'With the ...

The F-14 platform was the US Navy’s long-range, high-endurance interceptor able to better defend larger carrier battle groups. Earlier this summer, Iran’s small fleet of remaining F-14 “Tomcat” ...

Utilized during the Cold War, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat was a reliable and highly effective defense fighter jet. Thanks to its weapons systems and variable-sweep wing design, the two-engine Tomcat had ...

Thus far, the F-14 Tomcat’s primary role—fleet air defense—has yet to be fully replicated by any of its successors. In September 2006, the United States lost its need for speed. That was the year that ...