Grumman F-14A Tomcat

The F-14 Tomcat was a supersonic, twin-engine, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft developed by Grumman Aerospace Corporation for the U.S. Navy. First introduced in the 1970s, it was designed as a long-range fleet defense interceptor and air superiority fighter.

The F-14 was crewed by two people, a pilot and a radar intercept officer (RIO). It was powered by two turbofan engines and capable of exceeding Mach 2.3. The Tomcat carried AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for shorter engagements, a 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon, and was most notably armed with AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, which could engage targets at ranges of over 100 miles, along with AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for shorter engagements.

The Navy used the F-14 for air superiority, fleet air defense, tactical reconnaissance, and precision strike missions. It served extensively on aircraft carriers, patrolling oceans. The Tomcat saw combat in conflicts such as Operation Desert Storm and later operations over Iraq and Afghanistan, where it was adapted to deliver laser-guided bombs in addition to its traditional air-to-air role.

The aircraft was officially retired in 2006. It gained widespread public recognition after being featured in the 1986 film Top Gun.