Saturday, September 06, 2008

F-14 Tomcat

IOC: 1973
Total Production: 773
Total Program's Cost: USD$29 billion

F-14A Tomcat

Unitary Cost: USD$38 million

Origin:United States of America

Contractor/s: Northrop Grumman

Description: The F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, swing-wing, two-place strike fighter for use by the US Navy aboard its aircraft carrier. Its primary role is air superiority with a secondary ground strike and reconnaissance capabilities. The Tomcat can be equipped with the TARPS pod for reconnaissance missions and the LANTIRN laser designator pod for precision ground strike missions.

The F-14 Tomcat can track up to 24 airborne targets attacking 6 of them using the powerful AIM-54 Phoenix. It can also carry out air-to-air engagements using the proven AIM-7 Sparrow and the AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. In the event of a close-in engagement the 20mm Vulcan M61A1/A2 cannon is the weapon of choice.

The carrier-based Tomcat entered the fleet in 1973 replacing the F-4 Phantom II. In 1986, they provided air cover for the joint strike on Libyan terrorist targets.

The F-14A Tomcat is equipped with two TF30-P-414A engines, an IRST (InfraRed Searcher and Tracker), and the AWG-9 pulse-Doppler radar system. The F-14A provides air defense to US Navy's carrier strike groups.

Specifications
Accommodation: Crew 2

Guns: Main Gun Caliber 20 mm

Dimensions: Height 4.8 m, Length 18.8 m, Wingspan 19 m

Weights: Max Weight 33,067 kg (72,899 lb), Payload 5,897 kg (13,000 lb)

Engine/s Performance: Thrust 41,800 lb (18,960 kg)

Performance: Ceiling 15,250 m (50,033 ft), Max Range 1,694 km (915 nm), Min Range 1,215 m (3,986 ft), Top Speed 777 mps (Mach 2.34)

Other: Number of Engines 2

Family Members:
F-14B Tomcat, F-14D Tomcat Related Equipment
Air-to-Air Missiles: AIM-54C Phoenix (6), AIM-7M Sparrow (2), AIM-9M Sidewinder (2)

Sensors & Communications: AN/AWG-9, LANTIRN

Guns & Missile Launchers: M61A1

Protection Systems: AN/ALQ-126B

Applications
CV 63 Kitty Hawk, CVN 68 Nimitz Operators

see operators map | see family operators map

Iran / 79

United States of America / 699

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Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Sunday, August 24, 2008

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