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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Photos of World's last active service F-14 Tomcat jets overhauled in Iran
2015-03-02
Iran: The Cuba of the Aviation world.


Posted by:Hupineger Glomomp52169

#8  I have a Tomcat jookplint on my desk doing daily bookend duty. Amazing how many peole ask what it is and then don't believe how that little 3 lb chunk of steel can stop an airplane
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2015-03-02 20:14  

#7  Especially when Maverick is in control. Great balls of Fire.
Posted by: illeagle   2015-03-02 12:24  

#6  But the Tomcat is so much more beautiful than the Eagle, the Hornet, the Viper or the Raptor.
Posted by: JFM   2015-03-02 11:25  

#5  Note that there are no pictures of them actually flying.
Posted by: DoDo   2015-03-02 10:45  

#4  JFM - also required but lacking in the Iranian Tomcats - spare parts and diligent ground crews.
Posted by: Glenmore   2015-03-02 08:41  

#3  The Tomcat was great airplane because a) its powerful radar allowing it to see much farther than the enemy b) its very long range missiles c) the Navy pilots provided it had d) the more powerful engines used in the F14-B and F14-D

Now the Iranaian Tomacats a) don't have that radar. b) don't have those missiles c) don't have US Navy pilots and d) have the anemic engines of the F14-A
Posted by: JFM   2015-03-02 05:05  

#2  A total of 78 were sold to Iran in the early 1970's before trade was halted. Some estimates put the number of operationally ready (OR) rate today, at less than a dozen.
Posted by: Besoeker   2015-03-02 02:52  

#1  The F-14 is such a forward looking AC that they are still quite effective. Their radar is something else. The IDF used F-14s as AWACS for their F-16s when they went after Syria a while back.

I bet the Navy would like to have them back given as how the breathtaking technological breakthroughs of the F-35 are so FUBAR.
Posted by: Mystic   2015-03-02 01:40