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==Operational history== {{Main|F-14 Tomcat operational history}} ===United States=== [[File:F-14-vf-84.jpg|thumb|An F-14A of [[VF-84 (1955-95)|VF-84 Jolly Rogers]], in a 1970s color scheme, circa 1978]] The F-14 began replacing the F-4 Phantom II in U.S. Navy service starting in September 1974 with squadrons [[VF-1|VF-1 "Wolfpack"]] and [[VFA-2|VF-2 "Bounty Hunters"]] aboard {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|6}} and participated in the [[Operation Frequent Wind|American withdrawal from Saigon]]. The F-14 had its first kills in U.S. Navy service on 19 August 1981 over the [[Gulf of Sidra]] in what is known as the [[Gulf of Sidra incident (1981)|Gulf of Sidra incident]]. In that engagement, two F-14s from [[VFA-41|VF-41 Black Aces]] were engaged by two Libyan [[Sukhoi Su-17|Su-22 "Fitters"]]. The F-14s evaded the Libyan missile and returned fire, downing both Libyan aircraft with AIM-9L Sidewinders.<ref name="wapj7p745">Dorr 1991, pp. 74–75</ref> U.S. Navy F-14s once again were pitted against Libyan aircraft on 4 January 1989, when two F-14s from [[VFA-32|VF-32]] shot down two Libyan [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23|MiG-23 "Floggers"]] over the Gulf of Sidra in a second [[Gulf of Sidra incident (1989)|Gulf of Sidra incident]].<ref name="wapj7p767">Dorr 1991, pp. 76–77</ref> Its first sustained combat use was as a photo reconnaissance platform. The Tomcat was selected to inherit the reconnaissance mission upon the departure of the dedicated [[North American A-5 Vigilante|North American RA-5C Vigilante]] and [[Vought F-8 Crusader|Vought RF-8G Crusaders]] from the fleet. A large pod called the Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) was developed and fielded on the Tomcat in 1981. With the retirement of the last RF-8G Crusaders in 1982, TARPS F-14s became the U.S. Navy's primary tactical reconnaissance system.<ref>Baugher, Joe. [http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_fighters/f14_7.html "TARPS Pod for F-14."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124021654/http://joebaugher.com/navy_fighters/f14_7.html |date=24 November 2010}} ''F-14 Tomcat'', 13 February 2000. Retrieved: 6 May 2010.</ref> One of two Tomcat squadrons per airwing was designated as a TARPS unit and received 3 TARPS capable aircraft.<ref name="wapj9p57">Dorr 1991, p. 57</ref> [[File:F-14 Tomcat VF-114 escorting TU-95 Bear.jpg|thumb|An F-14A from [[VF-114]] intercepting a Soviet [[Tupolev Tu-95|Tu-95RT]] "Bear-D" maritime reconnaissance aircraft.]] While the Tomcat was being used by Iran in combat against Iraq in its intended air superiority mission in the early 1980s, the U.S. Navy found itself flying regular daily combat missions over Lebanon to photograph activity in the [[Bekaa Valley]]. At the time, the Tomcat had been thought too large and vulnerable to be used over land, but the need for imagery was so great that Tomcat aircrews developed high-speed medium altitude tactics to deal with considerable AAA and [[SA-7]] SAM threat in the Bekaa area. The first exposure of a Navy Tomcat to an [[S-75 Dvina|SA-2]] missile was over Somalia in April 1983 when a local battery was unaware of two Tomcats scheduled for a TARPS mission in a prelude to an upcoming international exercise in the vicinity of Berbera. An SA-2 was fired at the second Tomcat while conducting {{convert|10,000|ft|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} mapping profile at max conserve setting. The Tomcat aircrews spotted the missile launch and dove for the deck thereby evading it without damage. The unexpected demand for combat TARPS laid the way for high altitude sensors such as the KA-93 Long Range Optics (LOROP) to be rapidly procured for the Tomcat as well as an Expanded Chaff Adapter (ECA) to be incorporated in an AIM-54 Phoenix Rail. Commercial "fuzz buster" type radar detectors were also procured and mounted in pairs in the forward cockpit as a stop gap solution to detect SAM radars such as the SA-6. The ultimate solution was an upgrade to the ALR-67 then being developed, but it would not be ready until the advent of the F-14A+ later in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/04/29/Navy-using-fuzz-buster-radar-warning-devices/2670546667200/|title=Navy using 'fuzz-buster' radar warning devices|website=UPI|access-date=18 July 2020|archive-date=18 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718034852/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/04/29/Navy-using-fuzz-buster-radar-warning-devices/2670546667200/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Gypsy escortDN-ST-91-05966.jpg|thumb|upright|An F-14A of [[VF-32]] during [[Operation Desert Storm]] with a [[KC-135 Stratotanker]] and two [[EA-6B Prowler]]s in the background. |alt=Portrait photography of four aircraft overflying orange desert and almost-flat terrain; horizon is blurred. Leading is black aircraft, followed by two single-engine jet aircraft, the one closer to camera being refueled by leading jet via a stiff hose connecting the two. Closest jet to camera is pale gray, has two engines and vertical fins, flying with wings unswept.]] The participation of the F-14 in the 1991 Operation Desert Storm consisted of Combat Air Patrol (CAP) over the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf and overland missions consisting of strike escort and reconnaissance. Until the waning days of Desert Storm, in-country air superiority was tasked to USAF F-15 Eagles due to the way the Air Tasking Orders (ATO) delegated primary overland CAP stations to the F-15. The governing Rules of Engagement (ROE) also dictated a strict Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) requirement when employing Beyond Visual Range weapons such as the AIM-7 Sparrow and particularly the AIM-54 Phoenix. This hampered the Tomcat from using its most powerful weapon. Furthermore, the powerful emissions from the AWG-9 radar are detectable at great range with a radar warning receiver. Iraqi fighters routinely retreated as soon as the Tomcats "lit them up" with the AWG-9.<ref name="gillcrest1">Gillcrest 1994, p. 168.</ref><ref name="snodgrassinterview">[http://www.simhq.com/_air/fixedwing_archive/Snodgrass.zip "Capt. Dale "Snort" Snodgrass, USN (Ret.) Interview by John Sponauer"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222205828/http://simhq.com/_air/fixedwing_archive/Snodgrass.zip |date=22 December 2010}}. (30 August 2000). SimHQ. Retrieved: 26 November 2010.</ref> The U.S. Navy suffered its only F-14 loss from enemy action on 21 January 1991 when BuNo 161430, an F-14A upgraded to an F-14A+, from [[VFA-103|VF-103]] was shot down by an SA-2 surface-to-air missile while on an escort mission near [[Al Asad]] airbase in Iraq. Both crew members survived ejection with the pilot being rescued by USAF Special Operation Forces and the RIO being captured by Iraqi troops as a POW until the end of the war.<ref>Baugher, Joe. [http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries21.html "F-14."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101031101646/http://joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries21.html |date=31 October 2010}} ''U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps BuNos'', 30 September 2006. Retrieved: 6 May 2010.</ref> An aircraft from [[Fighter Squadron 1 (United States Navy)|VF-1]] also achieved the F-14's final kill in US service, a [[Mil Mi-8|Mi-8]] "Hip" helicopter, with an AIM-9 Sidewinder.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theaviationist.com/2016/02/06/f-14-shot-down-iraqi-mi-8/ |title=How A U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat Shot Down An Iraqi Mi-8 Hip Helicopter During Operation Desert Storm |work=The Aviationist |last=Leone |first=Dario |date=6 February 2015 |access-date=2 January 2023}}</ref> [[File:F-14D with GBU-10 over Afghanistan 2001.JPEG|thumb|left|A [[U.S. Navy|Navy]] F-14D flying over the skies of Afghanistan on a [[precision bombing]] mission [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|in November 2001]] ]] In 1995, F-14s from [[VFA-14|VF-14]] and VF-41 participated in [[Operation Deliberate Force]] as well as [[Operation Allied Force]] in 1999, and in 1998, VF-32 and VF-213 participated in Operation Desert Fox. On 15 February 2001, the [[Joint Direct Attack Munition|Joint Direct Attack Munition or JDAM]] was added to the Tomcat's arsenal. On 7 October 2001, F-14s would lead some of the first strikes into [[Afghanistan]] marking the start of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] and the first F-14 drop of a JDAM occurred on 11 March 2002. F-14s from VF-2, [[VF-31]], [[VF-32]], [[VF-154]], and [[VF-213]] would also participate in [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]. The F-14Ds of VF-2, VF-31, and VF-213 obtained JDAM capability in March 2003.<ref name="F-14Ds_JDAM">[http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=6431 "U.S. Navy's F-14D Tomcats Gain JDAM Capability."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070923022033/http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=6431 |date=23 September 2007}} ''Navy Newsstand'' (United States Navy), 21 March 2003. Retrieved: 20 January 2007.</ref> On 10 December 2005, the F-14Ds of VF-31 and VF-213 were upgraded with a ROVER III downlink for transmitting images to a ground Forward Air Controller (FAC).<ref name="F-14_ROVER">[http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=21377 "ROVER System Revolutionizes F-14's Ground Support Capability."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061124204451/http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=21377 |date=24 November 2006}} ''Navy Newsstand'' (United States Navy), 14 December 2005. Retrieved: 20 January 2007.</ref> The Navy decided to retire the F-14 with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet filling the roles of fleet defense and strike formerly filled by the F-14.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,215219,00.html "Navy's 'Top Gun' Tomcat Fighter Jet Makes Ceremonial Final Flight."] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111122500/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,215219,00.html |date=11 January 2012}} Associated Press, 22 September 2006. Retrieved: 17 July 2008.</ref><ref name=mkfflt>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jGZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EPMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6913%2C624467 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |last=Krane |first=Jim |title=Tomcats making final flights |date=17 December 2005 |page=A2 |access-date=11 March 2021 |archive-date=16 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416154812/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jGZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EPMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6913%2C624467 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:F-14 final catapult July 2006.jpg|thumb|The last F-14 launch from a carrier, USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'', on 28 July 2006]] The last American F-14 combat mission was completed on 8 February 2006, when a pair of Tomcats landed aboard {{USS|Theodore Roosevelt|CVN-71|6}} after one dropped a bomb over [[Iraq]]. During their final deployment with ''Theodore Roosevelt'', VF-31 and VF-213 collectively completed 1,163 combat sorties totaling 6,876 flight hours, and dropped {{convert|9500|lb|abbr=on}} of ordnance during reconnaissance, surveillance, and close air support missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.<ref>Murphy, Stephen. [http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=22325 "TR Traps Last Tomcat from Combat Mission."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061122195405/http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=22325 |date=22 November 2006}} ''Navy Newsstand'', 15 February 2006. Retrieved: 20 January 2007.</ref> USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' launched an F-14D, of VF-31, for the last time on 28 July 2006; piloted by Lt. Blake Coleman and Lt. Cmdr Dave Lauderbaugh as RIO.<ref>[http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37561 "Final launch of the F-14 Tomcat."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061123023354/http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37561 |date=23 November 2006}} navy.mil. Retrieved: 8 December 2009.</ref> The last two F-14 squadrons, the VF-31 Tomcatters and the VF-213 Black Lions conducted their last fly-in at [[Naval Air Station Oceana]] on 10 March 2006.<ref>[http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=22637 "Squadron Homecoming Marks End of Era for Tomcats".] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061125062513/http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=22637 |date=25 November 2006}} U.S. Navy, 10 March 2006. Retrieved: 20 January 2007.</ref> The official final flight retirement ceremony was on 22 September 2006 at Naval Air Station Oceana and was flown by Lt. Cmdr. Chris Richard and Lt. Mike Petronis as RIO in a backup F-14 after the primary aircraft experienced mechanical problems.<ref name="Pilot-Online">Tiernan, Bill. [http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=111479&ran=132499 "F-14's Final Flight."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926235949/http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=111479&ran=132499 |date=26 September 2007}} ''[[Virginian-Pilot]]'', 23 September 2006.</ref><ref name="Vanden Brook">Vanden Brook, Tom. [https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-09-22-F14-tomcat_x.htm "Navy retires F-14, the Coolest of Cold Warriors".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712104038/http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-09-22-F14-tomcat_x.htm |date=12 July 2012}} ''[[USA Today]]'', 22 September 2006. Retrieved: 20 January 2007.</ref> The actual last flight of an F-14 in U.S. service took place 4 October 2006, when an F-14D of VF-31 was ferried from NAS Oceana to [[Republic Airport]] on Long Island, New York.<ref name="Vanden Brook"/> The remaining intact F-14 aircraft in the U.S. were flown to and stored at the [[309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group]] "Boneyard", at [[Davis-Monthan Air Force Base]], Arizona; in 2007 the U.S. Navy announced plans to shred the remaining F-14s to prevent any components from being acquired by Iran.<ref name=shred>[http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,680195918,00.html "Pentagon shreds F-14s to keep parts from enemies."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110135352/http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,680195918,00.html |date=10 January 2008}} AP, 2 July 2007. Retrieved: 8 December 2009.</ref> In August 2009, the 309th AMARG stated that the last aircraft were taken to HVF West, [[Tucson, Arizona]] for shredding. At that time only 11 F-14s remained in desert storage.<ref name="amarg">{{cite journal |url=http://www.dm.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-091109-033.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807045643/http://www.dm.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-091109-033.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 August 2010 |title=Last of the Navy's F-14 Tomcats head for shredder; 11 remain in desert storage |journal=Usaf 309 Amarg |volume=3 |issue=6 |date=7 August 2009 |page=2 |access-date=22 July 2014}}</ref> ===Iran=== {{See also|Air force history of Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force}} Although attempts had been made to sell the Tomcat to the air forces of [[Royal Canadian Air Force|Canada]], [[German Air Force|Germany]], and [[Japan Air Self-Defense Force|Japan]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-history-f14a-export.htm|title=Export Tomcats|publisher=HOME OF M.A.T.S. - the most comprehensive Grumman F-14 Reference Work - by Torsten Anft!|access-date=September 19, 2023}}</ref> the [[Air force history of Iran|Imperial Iranian Air Force]] (IIAF) would ultimately be the sole foreign customer for the Tomcat. During the reign of the last [[Shah of Iran]], [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]], in the early 1970s, the IIAF was searching for an advanced fighter, specifically one capable of intercepting Soviet [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25|MiG-25]] reconnaissance flights. After a visit of U.S. President [[Richard Nixon]] to [[Pahlavi Iran]] in 1972, during which Iran was offered the latest in American military technology, the IIAF selected and initiated acquisition of the F-14 Tomcat, but offered McDonnell Douglas the chance to demonstrate its [[McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle|F-15 Eagle]].<ref name="Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat">Cooper, Tom and Bishop, Farzad, "Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat"</ref> The US Navy and Grumman Corporation arranged competitive demonstrations of the Eagle and the Tomcat at Andrews AFB for the Shah and high-ranking officers, and in January 1974 Iran placed an order for 30 F-14s and 424 [[AIM-54 Phoenix]] missiles, initiating Project ''Persian King'', worth US$300 million. A few months later, this order was increased to a total of 80 Tomcats and 714 Phoenix missiles as well as spare parts and replacement engines for 10 years, complete armament package, and support infrastructure (including construction of the [[Isfahan International Airport|Khatami Air Base]] near [[Isfahan]]).<ref name="f14iran"/>{{rp|25}} The first F-14 arrived in January 1976, modified only by the removal of classified avionics components, but fitted with the TF30-414 engines. The following year 12 more were delivered. Meanwhile, training of the first groups of Iranian crews by the U.S. Navy was underway in the US; one of these conducted a successful shoot-down with a Phoenix missile of a target drone flying at {{convert|50000|ft|km|abbr=on}}.<ref name="f14iran">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_MTvCwAAQBAJ|title=Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat|first1=Tom|last1=Cooper|first2=Farzad|last2=Bishop|isbn=978-1782007098|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|date=2012}}</ref>{{rp|11}} Following the [[Iranian Revolution|overthrow of the Shah]] in 1979, the air force was renamed the [[Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force]] (IRIAF) and the post-revolution [[Interim Government of Iran]] canceled most Western arms orders. In 1980, an Iranian F-14 shot down an Iraqi [[Mil Mi-24|Mil Mi-25]] helicopter for its first air-to-air kill during the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988).<ref name="Persian Cats">Cooper, Tom. [http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/persiancats.html Persian Cats: How Iranian air crews, cut off from U.S. technical support, used the F-14 against Iraqi attackers."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430123108/http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/persiancats.html |date=30 April 2012}} ''Air & Space Magazine'', November 2006. Retrieved: 24 March 2012.</ref> According to research by Tom Cooper, Iranian F-14s scored at least 50 air-to-air victories in the first six months of the war against Iraqi MiG-21s, MiG-23s and some Su-20s/22s. During the same period, only one Iranian F-14 suffered damage after being hit by debris from a nearby MiG-21 that exploded.<ref name="Persian Cats – acig.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_212.shtml |title=Persian 'Cats |last1=Cooper |first1=Tom |last2=Bishop |first2=Farzad |date=16 September 2003 |website=Arabian Peninsula & Persian Gulf Database |publisher=Air Combat Information Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204042640/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_212.shtml |archive-date=4 February 2012 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> Iranian Tomcats were originally used as an early-warning platform assisting other less-sophisticated aircraft with targeting and defense. They were also crucial to the defense of areas deemed vital by the Iranian government, such as oil terminals on [[Kharg Island]] and industrial infrastructure in the capital [[Tehran]]. Many of these patrols had the support of [[Boeing 707#707-320C|Boeing 707-3J9C]] in-flight refueling tankers. As fighting escalated between 1982 and 1986, the F-14s gradually became more involved in the battle. They performed well, but their primary role was to intimidate the Iraqi Air Force and avoid heavy engagement to protect the fleet's numbers. Their presence was often enough to drive away opposing Iraqi fighters. The precision and effectiveness of the Tomcat's AWG-9 weapons system and AIM-54A Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles enabled the F-14 to maintain air superiority.<ref name="Persian Cats – acig.org" /><ref name="Iran – National Interest">{{cite web|url=http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/revealed-irans-air-force-flies-american-made-f-14-tomcats-16758|title=Fact: Iran's Air Force Flies American-Made F-14 Tomcats|last=Axe|first=David|date=28 June 2016|work=The National Interest|access-date=29 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629084926/http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/revealed-irans-air-force-flies-american-made-f-14-tomcats-16758|archive-date=29 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In December 1980, an Iraqi MiG-21bis accounted for the only confirmed kill of an F-14 by that type of aircraft.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=47|title=Iraqi Air-to-Air Victories since 1967 - www.acig.org|date=19 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161219172206/http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=47|archive-date=19 December 2016}}</ref> On 11 August 1984, a MiG-23ML shot down an F-14A using an [[R-60 (missile)|R-60 missile]].<ref name="auto"/> On 2 September 1986, a MiG-23ML using an [[R-23 (missile)|R-24T missile]] mistakenly shot down an F-14 that was defecting to Iraq.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leone|first=Dario|date=6 July 2019|title=That time an IrAF MiG-23ML mistakenly shot down an IRIAF F-14A that was defecting to Iraq|url=https://theaviationgeekclub.com/that-time-an-iraf-mig-23ml-mistakenly-shot-down-an-iriaf-f-14a-that-was-defecting-to-iraq/|access-date=19 November 2020|website=The Aviation Geek Club|language=en-GB|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127110354/https://theaviationgeekclub.com/that-time-an-iraf-mig-23ml-mistakenly-shot-down-an-iriaf-f-14a-that-was-defecting-to-iraq/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref> On 17 January 1987, another Iranian F-14A was shot down; according to some sources it was shot down by a MiG-23ML.<ref name="auto"/> According to the latest data, the F-14A, which was shot down on 17 January, was destroyed by an [[R-40 (missile)|R-40 missile]] fired by an Iraqi MiG-25PDS (pilot Captain Adnan Sae’ed), and the MiG-23 pilot did not claim any victory.<ref>Cooper, Tom. ''MiG-23 Flogger in the Middle East''. Helion and Company, 2018. pp. 39, 40</ref> [[File:Iranian F-14 Pilots.jpg|thumb|Iranian F-14 pilots standing in front of an Imperial Iranian Air Force F-14]] Iraq also obtained [[Dassault Mirage F1|Mirage F.1EQ]] fighters from France in 1981, armed with [[Super 530|Super 530F]] and [[R.550 Magic|Magic Mk.2]] air-to-air missiles. The Mirage F.1 fighters were eventually responsible for four confirmed F-14 kills.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-of-the-giraffe-missions-and-how-iraf-mirage-f-1-fighter-bombers-were-able-to-shoot-down-four-iriaf-f-14-tomcats/ |title=The Story of the Giraffe Missions and how IrAF Mirage F.1 fighter bombers were able to shoot down four IRIAF F-14 Tomcats |website=theaviationgeekclub.com |last=Leone |first=Dario |date=12 July 2019 |access-date=1 September 2021 |url-status=live |archive-date=31 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731122746/https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-of-the-giraffe-missions-and-how-iraf-mirage-f-1-fighter-bombers-were-able-to-shoot-down-four-iriaf-f-14-tomcats/}}</ref> The IRIAF attempted to keep 60 F-14s operational throughout the war, but reports indicate this number was reduced to 30 by 1986 with only half fully mission-capable.<ref name="Persian Cats – acig.org" /><ref>Cooper, Tom and Farzad Bishop. ''Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat'', p. 70. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2004. {{ISBN|1 84176 787 5}}.</ref> Based on research by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop, Iran claimed their F-14s shot down at least 160 Iraqi aircraft during the Iran–Iraq War, including 58 [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23|MiG-23]]s (15 of these are confirmed according to Cooper), 33 [[Mirage F1]]s, 23 [[MiG-21]]s, 23 [[Sukhoi Su-17|Su-20s/22]]s, nine [[MiG-25]]s (one of these are confirmed according to Iraqi sources), five [[Tu-22]]s, two [[Mikoyan MiG-27|MiG-27]]s, one [[Mil Mi-24]], one [[Dassault Mirage 5]], one [[Xian H-6|B-6D]], one [[Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon|Aérospatiale Super Frelon]], and two unidentified aircraft. Despite the circumstances the F-14s and their crews faced during the war against Iraq – lacking support from [[Airborne early warning and control|AWACS]], [[List of airborne early warning aircraft|AEW aircraft]], and [[Ground-controlled interception|Ground Control Intercept]] (GCI) – the F-14 proved to be successful in combat. It achieved this in the midst of a confrontation with an enemy that was constantly upgrading its capabilities and receiving support from three major countries – France, the US, and the USSR. Part of the success is attributed to the resilient Iranian economy and IRIAF personnel.<ref name="Persian Cats"/><ref name="Persian Cats – acig.org" /> While Iraq's army claimed it shot down more than 70 F-14s, the Foreign Broadcast Information System in Washington DC estimated that Iran lost 12 to 16 F-14s during the war. Cooper writes three F-14s were shot down by Iraqi pilots and four by Iranian [[surface-to-air missile]]s (SAM). Two more Tomcats were lost in unknown circumstances during the battle, and seven crashed due to technical failure or accidents.<ref>Cooper and Bishop, p. 84.</ref> During the war, the Iranian Air Force F-14s suffered ten confirmed losses, one lost due to engine stall, one in unknown conditions, two by [[Friendly fire|Iranian]] [[MIM-23 Hawk|HAWK SAMs]], two by MIG-23s and four were shot down by Mirage F-1s. There are also unconfirmed reports of the downing of 10 more Tomcats.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/country-by-country/Iran_F-14_.htm |title=Chronological Listing of Iranian Air Force Grumman F-14 Tomcat |website=ejection-history.org.uk |access-date=23 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704124203/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/country-by-country/Iran_F-14_.htm |archive-date=4 July 2009 |url-status=dead}} {{unreliable source?|date=September 2021}}</ref> On 31 August 1986, an Iranian F-14A armed with at least one AIM-54A missile defected to [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]]. Then again on 2 September 1986 another Iranian F-14A defected to Iraq.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-09-01-mn-12880-story.html |title=The World: 2 Iran Pilots Defect to Iraq |work=Los Angeles Times |date=1 September 1986 |access-date=1 September 2021 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |archive-date=10 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510143547/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-09-01-mn-12880-story.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/country-by-country/iranian_f_4_phantom_losses.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710211447/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/country-by-country/iranian_f_4_phantom_losses.htm |title=Chronological Listing of Iranian Air Force McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II |website=ejection-history.org.uk |archive-date=10 July 2015}} {{unreliable source?|date=September 2021}}</ref> In addition, one or more of Iran's F-14A was delivered to the Soviet Union in exchange for technical assistance; at least one of its crew defected to the Soviet Union.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Уголок неба ¦ Перехватчики Grumman F-14A "Tomcat" в Иране |url=https://airwar.ru/history/locwar/bv/f14iran/f14iran.html |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=airwar.ru}}</ref> On 24 July 2002, an Iranian F-14A confronted two [[Azerbaijan]]i MiG-25s that were threatening an Iranian [[Lockheed P-3 Orion|P-3F]], securing a radar lock on one of the MiGs, which then turned away, during tensions over attempts by Azerbaijan to survey for oil in Iranian waters in the [[Caspian Sea]].<ref>Taghvaee ''Air International'' March 2021, pp. 39–41.</ref> Iran had an estimated 44 F-14s in 2009 according to Combat Aircraft.<ref name="Combat Aircraft">Cooper, Tom and Liam Devlin. "Iranian Air Power Combat Aircraft". ''Combat Aircraft'', Vol. 9 No. 6, January 2009.</ref> ''Aviation Week'' estimated it had 19 operational F-14s in January 2013,<ref name=2013_Aero_Source>"World Military Aircraft Inventory". ''2013 Aerospace Source Book''. Aviation Week and Space Technology, 2013.</ref> and [[FlightGlobal]] estimated that 28 were in service in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hoyle |first=Craig |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/kings-of-the-swingers-top-13-swing-wing-aircraft-404176/ |title=Kings of the swingers: Top 13 swing-wing aircraft |work=[[FlightGlobal]] |publisher=Reed Business Information |date=26 September 2014 |access-date=27 September 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140927223525/http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/kings-of-the-swingers-top-13-swing-wing-aircraft-404176/ |archive-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> [[File: A formation of Iranian Tomcats in flight.jpg|thumb|Formation flight of Iranian Tomcats, 2008]] Following the US Navy's retirement of its Tomcats in 2006, Iran sought to purchase spare parts for its aircraft.<ref name="ai918p58">Taghvaee ''Air International'' September 2018, p. 58.</ref> In January 2007, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that sales of spare F-14 parts would be suspended over concerns of the parts ending up in Iran.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6315957.stm "US halts sale of F-14 jet parts."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202041805/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6315957.stm |date=2 February 2007}} BBC News. Retrieved: 8 December 2009.</ref> In July 2007, the remaining American F-14s were shredded to ensure that any parts could not be acquired.<ref name="shred"/> Despite these measures, Iran managed to significantly increase its stocks of spare parts, increasing the number of airworthy Tomcats, although as it did not manage to obtain spare parts for the aircraft's weapon systems, the number of combat ready Tomcats was still low (seven in 2008).<ref name="ai918p58-9">Taghvaee ''Air International'' September 2018, pp. 58–59.</ref> In 2010, Iran requested that the U.S. deliver the 80th F-14 that it had purchased in 1974 but never received due to the Islamic Revolution.<ref>[http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=224172 "Iranian Air Force seeks return of F-14 bombers from U.S."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902013625/http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=224172 |date=2 September 2010}} ''[[Tehran Times]]''</ref><ref>Parsons, Gary. [http://www.airforcesmonthly.com/view_news.asp?ID=2378 "Iran wants its F-14 back."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308150857/http://www.airforcesmonthly.com/view_news.asp?ID=2378 |date=8 March 2012}} ''AirForces Monthly'', 5 August 2010.</ref> In October 2010, an Iranian Air Force commander claimed that the country overhauls and optimizes different types of military aircraft, mentioning their Air Force has installed Iran-made radar systems on the F-14.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130530172630/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-255136166.html "Iranian Air Force Equips F-14 Fighter Jets with Hi-Tech Radars."]}} FARS News Agency, Iran, 5 January 2011. Retrieved: 9 September 2012.</ref> In 2012, the Iranian Air Force's Mehrabad Overhaul Center delivered an F-14 with upgraded weapon systems with locally sourced components, designated F-14AM.<ref name="ai918p59-0">Taghvaee ''Air International'' September 2018, pp. 59–60.</ref> Shortages of Phoenix missiles led to attempts to integrate the Russian [[R-27 (air-to-air missile)|R-27 semi-active radar-guided missile]], but these proved unsuccessful. An alternative was the use of modified [[MIM-23 Hawk]] missiles to replace the Tomcat's Phoenixes and Sparrows, but as the Tomcat could only carry two Hawks, this project was also abandoned, and the [[Fakour-90]] missile, which used the guidance system of the Hawk packaged into the airframe of the Phoenix, launched. Pre-production Fakour-90s were delivered in 2017, and a production order for 100 missiles (now designated AIM-23B) was placed in 2018, intending to replace the F-14s AIM-7E Sparrow missiles.<ref name="ai918p61-3">Taghvaee ''Air International'' September 2018, pp. 61–63.</ref> On 26 January 2012, an Iranian F-14 crashed three minutes after takeoff. Both crew members were killed.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120128065039/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/iranian-f-14-fighter-jet-crashes-in-countrys-south-both-pilot-and-co-pilot-killed/2012/01/26/gIQAhzESSQ_story.html "Iranian F-14 fighter jet crashes in country's south, both pilot and co-pilot killed."]}} ''Washington Post'', 26 January 2012. Retrieved: 24 March 2012.</ref> In November 2015, Iranian F-14s were reported flying escort for Russian [[Tupolev Tu-95|Tu-95]], [[Tupolev Tu-160|Tu-160]] and [[Tupolev Tu-22M|Tu-22M]] bombers on [[Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War|air strikes]] in Syria against the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cenciotti |first1=David |title=Watch this video of Iranian F-14 Tomcats escorting a Russian Tu-95 bomber during air strike in Syria |url=https://theaviationist.com/2015/11/20/iriaf-f-14s-escort-ruaf-tu-95/ |website=[[The Aviationist]] |access-date=8 August 2018 |date=20 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808043510/https://theaviationist.com/2015/11/20/iriaf-f-14s-escort-ruaf-tu-95/ |archive-date=8 August 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/new-video-of-f-14-tomcat-escorts-and-cruise-missiles-as-1743807778 "New Video Of F-14 Tomcat Escorts And Cruise Missiles As Russia Steps Up Syria Offensive"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121151942/http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/new-video-of-f-14-tomcat-escorts-and-cruise-missiles-as-1743807778 |date=21 November 2015}}. foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com, 20 November 2015. Retrieved: 21 November 2015.</ref> On 14 May 2019, an Iranian F-14 crashed during landing at Isfahan-Shahid Beheshti Airport. Both crew members ejected and survived.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/225077|title=Incident Grumman F-14A Tomcat 3-6003, 14 May 2019|access-date=22 March 2022|archive-date=22 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322180239/https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/225077|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Notable F-14 crew members=== {{Trivia|section|date=January 2024}} The following is a list of notable airmen who have flown the F-14 throughout its service history. ====Iran==== [[File:Jalil Z.jpg|thumb|Iranian ace [[Jalil Zandi]] is credited with shooting down eleven Iraqi aircraft during the [[Iran–Iraq War]], making him the highest-scoring F-14 pilot.<ref name="Combat 2004, pp. 85">Cooper, Tom and Farzad Bishop. ''Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat'', pp. 85–88. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2004. {{ISBN|1 84176 787 5}}.</ref>]] * [[Assadollah Adeli]] – IRIAF ace pilot credited with five aerial victories.<ref name="razoux2">Razoux 2019, Section 31, p. 15</ref> * [[Fereidoun Ali-Mazandarani]] – IRIAF ace pilot with an estimated nine<ref name="razoux1">Razoux 2015, Table 1.3: Victories by Iranian pilots (3 or more victories), p. 571</ref> to eleven<ref name="razoux2"/> victories. * [[Fazlollah Javidnia]] – IRIAF ace pilot with eleven confirmed and two probable victories.<ref name="razoux2"/> * [[Jalil Zandi]] – IRIAF ace pilot and highest-scoring F-14 pilot. Credited with eleven confirmed kills during the [[Iran-Iraq War]].<ref name="Combat 2004, pp. 85"/> ====United States==== [[File:SnodgrassBananaPass.jpg|thumb|right|Dale "Snort" Snodgrass performing the "banana pass" stunt over the {{USS|America|CV-66|6}} in 1988]] * [[Scott Altman]] – former [[NASA]] [[astronaut]] and commander of Space Shuttle missions [[STS-109]] (2002) and [[STS-125]] (2009). Altman deployed twice on the {{USS|Carl Vinson}} as an F-14 pilot of VF-51 from 1984 to 1987 and worked as a test pilot for F-14 test programs, including the first deployment of the F-14D variant in 1992, before being selected for the NASA astronaut program. He also participated in the filming of ''Top Gun'' as a stunt pilot, most notably the tower flyby stunt.<ref name="TomcastTopGun">{{cite podcast|url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/6QMAKQkOgUgi92K2ZyXPca?si=e761b4b967364036| title="Top Gun" -- the Movie| website=F-14 Tomcast| publisher=BVR Productions|host1=Craig "Crunch" Snyder|host2=Dave "Bio" Baranek|date=May 2022|access-date=January 16, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WATCH: Live from the Flight Deck: The F-14 Tomcat with Scott "Scooter" Altman |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_bD46Vmyac|website=Youtube |publisher=[[Intrepid Museum]] |language=en |format=video |date=May 13, 2022}}</ref> * [[Walter E. Carter Jr.]] – retired Navy vice admiral, 62nd superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, and current president of the [[Ohio State University]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.osu.edu/walter-ted-carter-jr-appointed-by-board-of-trustees-as-17th-president-of-the-ohio-state-university/ | title=Walter "Ted" Carter Jr. Appointed by Board of Trustees as 17th president of the Ohio State University }}</ref> Carter accumulated 6,150 flight hours and 2,016 carrier-arrested landings as a RIO on the F-4, F-14, and F/A-18. He transitioned to the F-14 in 1986 through [[VF-124]] in NAS Miramar while simultaneously taking instructor duty and subsequently deployed with [[VF-21]] on the {{USS|Independence|CV-62|6}} during the Gulf War. He later assumed command of VF-14 in 1998 and led the squadron in the completion of 550 combat missions during [[Operation Allied Force]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.topedge.com/panels/aircraft/sites/vf14/slapshot.html|title=CDR Ted Carter|publisher=VF-14 Top Hatters Home Page|access-date=January 10, 2024}}</ref> * [[Donnie Cochran]] – first African-American member of the [[Blue Angels]] flight demonstration squadron. Cochran made two deployments on the {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|6}} as an F-14 pilot with [[VFA-213|VF-213]]. He later assumed command of [[Fighter Squadron 1 (United States Navy)|VF-1]] from 1991 until its disestablishment in 1993 and [[VF-111 (1956-1995)|VF-111]] from 1993 to 1994.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/donniecochran|title=Donnie Cochran - CEO - Enhance Performance Consulting, Inc.|publisher=LinkedIn|access-date=January 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/Operations/Article-View/Article/2687029/captain-donnie-cochran-from-farm-boy-to-blue-angels-flight-leader/|title=Captain Donnie Cochran: From Farm Boy to Blue Angels Flight Leader|author=Abdow, E.|work=The Sextant |publisher= Naval History and Heritage Command|date=July 21, 2021|access-date=January 9, 2024}}</ref> * [[Joe F. Edwards Jr.]] – former NASA astronaut. Edwards was awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] for landing a heavily damaged F-14 on the {{USS|Dwight D. Eisenhower}} in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|title=How F-14 Tomcat pilot with missing radome made an emergency landing|date=June 12, 2018|url=https://fighterjetsworld.com/air/how-f-14-tomcat-pilot-with-missing-radome-made-an-emergency-landing/4466/|publisher=Fighter Jets World|access-date=January 9, 2024}}</ref> * [[Robert L. Gibson|Robert L. "Hoot" Gibson]] – former NASA Astronaut and commander of Space Shuttle missions [[STS-61-C]] (1986), [[STS-27]] (1988), [[STS-47]] (1992) and [[STS-71]] (1995). Gibson was assigned to [[Fighter Squadron 1 (United States Navy)|VF-1]] during the introduction of the F-14 to fleet service between 1972 and 1975. He later was became an F-14A instructor assigned to [[VF-124]] in 1977.<ref>{{Cite book |author=NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/gibson_robert.pdf?emrc=a489ba |title="Biographical Data: ROBERT L. GIBSON (CAPTAIN, USN RET.) NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)" |date=September 1997 |publisher=[[NASA]]}}</ref> * [[Kara Hultgreen]] – one of the first female carrier-based Naval aviators. Hultgreen deployed with VF-213 on the {{USS|Abraham Lincoln|CVN-72|6}} and became the first female fighter pilot in the U.S. military to die in a crash when her F-14 crashed into the sea on approach to the ''Lincoln'' in 1994.<ref name="Lohrenz"/> * [[James W. Huston (author)|James W. Huston]] – ''[[New York Times]]'' best-selling author. Huston flew as a RIO in many of the F-14 flight sequences in the 1980 movie ''[[The Final Countdown (film)|The Final Countdown]]'' while touring with [[VF-84 (1955-1995)|VF-84]] on the {{USS|Nimitz}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jameswhuston.com/about/ |title=James W. Huston's biography |date= |accessdate=2010-09-22 |archive-date=2016-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221054514/http://www.jameswhuston.com/about/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> * [[Scott Kelly (astronaut)|Scott Kelly]] – former astronaut who commanded Expeditions [[Expedition 26|26]], [[Expedition 45|45]], and [[Expedition 46|46]] of the [[International Space Station]] (ISS) and Space Shuttle mission [[STS-118]] (2007). Kelly trained on the F-14 with [[VF-101]] and deployed with [[VFA-143|VF-143]] on the USS ''Dwight D. Eisenhower'' upon completion of his training in September 1990.<ref>{{cite book| last1 = Kelly| first1 = Scott| last2 = Dean| first2 = Margaret| title =Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery| publisher = Alfred A. Knopf| pages=157–164|date = 2017| location = New York City| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=cpv9CwAAQBAJ|isbn = 978-1-5247-3159-5}}</ref> He also proposed a digital flight control system designed to prevent accidents similar to that of Kara Hultgreen's.<ref>{{cite book| last1 = Kelly| first1 = Scott| last2 = Dean| first2 = Margaret| title =Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery| publisher = Alfred A. Knopf| pages=166–170|date = 2017| location = New York City| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=cpv9CwAAQBAJ|isbn = 978-1-5247-3159-5}}</ref> * [[Carey Lohrenz]] – one of the first fully qualified female naval aviators to fly the F-14. Lohrenz deployed with VF-213 on the USS ''Abraham Lincoln'' in the mid-1990s before resigning from the Navy in 1999 and beginning a career as a leadership expert and professional speaker.<ref name="Lohrenz">{{cite web|url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/first-female-tomcat-pilot-turns-trials-into-successes/|title=First female Tomcat pilot turns trials into successes|author=Carroll, W.|publisher=We Are The Mighty|date=April 2, 2018|access-date=January 10, 2024}}</ref> * [[Dale Snodgrass|Dale "Snort" Snodgrass]] – "highest time Tomcat pilot" with more than 4,800 hours and 1,200 carrier landings with the type.<ref name="snortsnodgrass">{{cite news |last1=Gary |first1=Debbie |title=The Real Top Gun – Nobody handled a Tomcat like Snort |url=https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/the-real-top-gun-32185/?page=2 |access-date=August 11, 2021 |publisher=[[Air & Space Magazine]] |date=July 2010}}</ref> * [[Robert F. Willard|Robert "Rat" Willard]] – former commander of the [[United States Pacific Fleet|U.S. Pacific Fleet]]. As a Navy pilot, Willard frequently flew F-14s while deployed to the Western Pacific Ocean and North Arabian Sea before heading to the [[United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program|Navy Fighter Weapons School]] (TOPGUN) and serving as the operations officer and executive officer. He also worked on the movie ''[[Top Gun]]'' as an aerial coordinator and later assumed command of VF-51, the squadron that provided F-14s for the movie,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-squadron-vf051.htm|title=VF-51 Screaming Eagles|publisher=HOME OF M.A.T.S. - the most comprehensive Grumman F-14 Reference Work - by Torsten Anft!|access-date=June 21, 2023}}</ref> in the late 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usna.com/events-and-programs-dga-bio-willard|title=ADMIRAL ROBERT F. WILLARD '73, USN (RET.)|publisher=United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation|access-date=January 18, 2024}}</ref> * [[James A. Winnefeld Jr.]] “Jaws” – former chair of the [[President's Intelligence Advisory Board]]. During his Navy career, Winnefeld deployed on the USS ''Constellation'' with VF-24 and the {{USS|Ranger|CV-61|6}} with VF-1 in the 1980s before becoming the commanding officer (CO) of [[VFA-211 (U.S. Navy)|VF-211]]. Later in his career, he became the CO of the USS ''Enterprise''. He is also credited as pilot in the movie ''[[Top Gun]]'' as ‘LT. James “Jaws” Winnefeld”.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historynet.com/f-14-tomcat-sharpens-claws-topgun/|title=The F-14 Tomcat Sharpens Its Claws At Topgun|author=Baranek, D.|publisher=HistoryNet|date=February 6, 2019|access-date=January 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=From Top Gun Instructor to Four Star Admiral: A Conversation with Sandy "Jaws" Winnefeld|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdC2P6UqEGE|website=Youtube |publisher=Ward Carroll|language=en|format=video |date=March 2, 2022}}</ref>
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