Editing Grumman F-14 Tomcat (section)

==Design==
[[File:F-14B Demo 1998.ogv|thumb|F-14 Tomcat flight demonstration video. |alt=Flight demonstration video of an F-14]]

The F-14 Tomcat was designed as both an air superiority fighter and a long-range naval interceptor,<ref name="Spang_Background">Spangenberg, George. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120204214816/http://www.georgespangenberg.com/vf1.htm "Brief History and Background of the F-14, 1955–1970."]}} ''George Spangenberg Oral History''. Retrieved: 23 December 2009.</ref><ref name="Spang_MemoVF2">Spangenberg, George.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120204215330/http://www.georgespangenberg.com/vf2.htm "Exhibit VF-2."]}} ''George Spangenberg Oral History'', 8 February 1965. Retrieved: 23 December 2009.</ref><ref name="Spang_VF10">Spangenberg, George. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120206140205/http://www.georgespangenberg.com/vf10.htm "Statement of Mr. G.A. Spangenberg before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee, June 1973."]}} ''George Spangenberg Oral History''. Retrieved: 23 December 2009.</ref> which enabled it to both serve as escort fighter aircraft when armed with Sparrow missiles and [[fleet air defense]] [[Loiter (aeronautics)|loitering]] interceptor role when armed with Phoenix missiles.<ref name="mc_f14designevolution">{{cite web|last1=Ciminera|first1=Mike|title=F-14 Design Evolution|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsUCixAeZ0A#t=550.526632| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/SsUCixAeZ0A| archive-date=11 December 2021 | url-status=live|website=Youtube – Peninsula Srs Videos|date=30 November 2014 |publisher=Youtube|access-date=30 October 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The F-14 was designed with a two-seat cockpit with a [[bubble canopy]] which affords all-around visibility aiding aircrew in air-to-air combat. It features variable geometry wings that swing automatically during flight. For high-speed intercept, they are swept back and they swing forward for lower speed flight and increased endurance for loitering.<ref name="baugher2"/> It was designed to improve on the F-4 Phantom's air combat performance in most respects.<ref name="Spang_Background"/>

The F-14's fuselage and wings allow it to climb faster than the F-4, while the "twin-tail" [[empennage]] (dual vertical stabilizers with ventral fins on the engine nacelles) offers better stability. The F-14 is equipped with an internal 20&nbsp;mm M61 Vulcan [[rotary cannon]] mounted on the left side (unlike the Phantom, which was not equipped with an internal gun in the US Navy), and can carry AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-7 Sparrow, and AIM-9 Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles. The twin engines are housed in widely spaced [[Podded engine|nacelles]]. The flat area of the fuselage between the nacelles is used to contain fuel and avionics systems, such as the wing-sweep mechanism and flight controls, as well as weaponry since the wings are not used for carrying ordnance.<ref name="baugher2"/> By itself, the [[fuselage]] provides approximately 40 to 60 percent of the F-14's aerodynamic lifting surface depending on the wing sweep position.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grumman F-14 Tomcat – Fight's On! |url=https://chucksguides.com/aircraft/dcs/f-14b/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |language=en-US}}</ref> The [[lifting body]] characteristics of the fuselage allowed one F-14 to safely land after suffering a [[mid-air collision]] that sheared off more than half of the plane's right wing in 1991.<ref name="F-14 Tomcat could land on carrier with missing radome, damaged wing">Leone, Dario. [http://theaviationist.com/2013/11/06/f-14-damaged/ "F-14 Tomcat could land on carrier with missing radome, damaged wing"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306170226/http://theaviationist.com/2013/11/06/f-14-damaged |date=6 March 2016}} ''theaviationist.com''. Retrieved: 10 March 2016</ref>

The landing gear is very robust, in order to withstand [[CATOBAR|catapult launches (takeoffs) and recoveries (landings)]] needed for carrier operations. It comprises a double nosewheel and widely spaced single main wheels. There are no hardpoints on the sweeping parts of the wings, and so all the [[armament]] is fitted on the belly between the air [[intake ramp]]s and on pylons under the wing gloves. Internal fuel capacity is {{convert|2400|gal|L|abbr=on}}: {{convert|290|gal|L|abbr=on}} in each wing, {{convert|690|gal|L|abbr=on}} in a series of tanks aft of the cockpit, and a further {{convert|457|gal|L|abbr=on}} in two feeder tanks. It can carry two {{convert|267|gal|L|abbr=on}} external [[drop tank]]s under the engine intake ramps.<ref name="baugher2"/> There is also an air-to-air refueling probe, which folds into the starboard nose.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

===Variable-geometry wings and aerodynamic design===
[[File:Grumman F-14 Tomcat SDASM.jpg|thumb|F-14 Tomcat with wings in asymmetric sweep during testing for this possible in-flight malfunction]]

The F-14's wing sweep can be varied between 20° and 68° in flight,<ref name="Dorr p.50.">Dorr 1991, p. 50.</ref> and can be automatically controlled by its [[F-14 CADC|Central Air Data Computer]] (CADC), which maintains wing sweep at the optimum [[lift-to-drag ratio]] as the [[Mach number]] varies; pilots can manually override the system if desired.<ref name="baugher2"/> When parked, the wings can be "overswept" to 75° to overlap the horizontal stabilizers to save deck space aboard carriers. In an emergency, the F-14 can land with the wings fully swept to 68°,<ref name="baugher2"/> although this presents a significant safety hazard due to greatly increased stall speed. Such an aircraft would typically be diverted from an aircraft carrier to a land base if an incident did occur. The F-14 has flown safely with an asymmetrical wing-sweep during testing, and was deemed able to land aboard a carrier if needed in an emergency.<ref>[http://www.f-14association.com/tales/the-story-of-f-14a-aircraft-no-3-buno-157982.html "F-14A, Aircraft No. 3, BuNo. 157982"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311072159/http://www.f-14association.com/tales/the-story-of-f-14a-aircraft-no-3-buno-157982.html |date=11 March 2016}}. F-14 Association. Retrieved: 10 March 2016.</ref>

The wing pivot points are significantly spaced far apart. This has two benefits. The first is that weaponry can be fitted on a pylon on the fixed wing glove, liberating the wings from having swiveling pylons fitted, a feature which had proven to add significant drag on the F-111B.<ref name="mc_f14designevolution"/> Since less of the total lifting area is variable, the center of lift moves less as the wings move, reducing trim drag at high speed.<ref name="mc_f14designevolution"/> When the wing is swept back, its [[thickness-to-chord ratio]] decreases, which allows the aircraft to satisfy the Mach 2.4 top speed required by the U.S. Navy.<ref name="mc_f14designevolution"/> The body of the aircraft contributes significantly to overall lift and so the Tomcat possesses a lower wing loading than its wing area would suggest. When carrying four Phoenix missiles or other heavy stores between the engines this advantage is lost and maneuverability is reduced in those configurations.<ref name="mc_f14designevolution"/>

[[File:Hp scan0021.jpg|thumb|Rear view of the F-14 showing the area between the engine nacelles. |alt=Rear view of stationary aircraft]]
[[Aileron]]s are not fitted, with [[Flight dynamics (aircraft)|roll control]] being provided by wing-mounted [[Spoiler (aeronautics)|spoilers]] at low speed (which are disabled if the sweep angle exceeds 57°), and by differential operation of the all-moving [[Elevon|tailerons]] at high speed.<ref name="baugher2"/> Full-span [[Leading edge slats|slats]] and [[Flap (aircraft)|flaps]] are used to increase lift both for landing and combat, with slats being set at 17° for landing and 7° for combat, while flaps are set at 35° for landing and 10° for combat.<ref name="baugher2"/> An air bag fills up the space occupied by the swept-back wing when the wing is in the forward position and a flexible fairing on top of the wing smooths out the shape transition between the fuselage and top wing area.<ref name="mc_f14designevolution"/> The twin tail layout helps in maneuvers at high angle of attack (AoA) while reducing the height of the aircraft to fit within the limited roof clearance of [[hangar]]s aboard [[aircraft carrier]]s.<ref name="baugher2"/>

The wings have a two-spar structure with integral fuel tanks. Around 25% of the structure is made of [[titanium]], including the wing box, wing pivots, and upper and lower wing skins;<ref name="baugher2">Baugher, Joe (13 February 2000). [http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_fighters/f14_2.html "Grumman F-14A Tomcat"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124022031/http://joebaugher.com/navy_fighters/f14_2.html |date=24 November 2010}} ''Joe Baugher's Encyclopedia of American Military Aircraft''. Retrieved 6 May 2010.</ref> this is a light, rigid, and strong material. [[Electron beam welding]] was used in the construction of the titanium parts. The F-14 was designed for maneuver loads of 7.5&nbsp;g, but this was usually limited to 6.5&nbsp;g in the fleet to extend the aircraft's service life.<ref name="mc_f14designevolution"/>

Two triangular shaped retractable surfaces, called glove vanes, were originally mounted in the forward part of the wing glove, and could be automatically extended by the flight control system at high Mach numbers. They were used to generate additional [[lift (force)|lift]] ahead of the aircraft's [[center of gravity]], thus helping to compensate for [[mach tuck]] at supersonic speeds. Automatically deployed at above Mach 1.4, they allowed the F-14 to pull 7.5 g at Mach 2 and could be manually extended with wings swept full aft. They were later disabled, however, owing to their additional weight and complexity.<ref name="baugher2"/> The [[Air brake (aircraft)|air brakes]] consist of top-and-bottom extendable surfaces at the rearmost portion of the fuselage, between the engine nacelles. The bottom surface is split into left and right halves; the [[tailhook]] hangs between the two-halves, an arrangement sometimes called the "castor tail".<ref name="Sgarlato_p40-46">Sgarlato 1988, pp. 40–46.</ref>

===Engines===
The F-14A was initially equipped with two [[Pratt & Whitney]] TF30-P-412A (or JTF10A) augmented [[turbofan]] engines, each rated at 20,900&nbsp;lb (93&nbsp;kN) of static uninstalled thrust, which enabled the aircraft to attain a maximum speed of Mach 2.34.<ref name="Spick_p81"/> The F-14 would normally fly at a cruising speed for reduced [[fuel consumption]], which was important for conducting lengthy patrol missions.<ref>Laurence K. Loftin Jr. [http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/SP-468/ch10-3.htm "Part II: The Jet Age, Chapter 10: Technology of the Jet Airplane, Turbojet and Turbofan Systems."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914184628/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/SP-468/ch10-3.htm |date=14 September 2010}} ''Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft'', 29 February 2009. Retrieved: 29 January 2009.</ref> The rectangular air inlets for the engines were equipped with movable ramps and bleed doors to meet the different airflow requirements of the engine from take-off to maximum supersonic speed. Variable nozzles were also fitted to the engine's exhaust. Late production F-14A had the improved TF30-P-414A engines. The Navy had originally planned to replace the TF30 with the Pratt & Whitney F401, the naval variant of the F-15's F100 engine, but this plan was ultimately canceled due to costs and reliability problems.<ref name="wapj19p1301">Lake 1994, pp. 130–131</ref>

[[File:F-14 Tomcat preparing to refuel.jpg|thumb|left|An F-14D prepares to refuel with probe extended.]]
The performance of the TF30 engine became an object of criticism. [[John Lehman]], [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]] in the 1980s, told the U.S. Congress that the TF30/F-14 combination was "probably the worst engine/airframe mismatch we have had in years" and that the TF30 was "a terrible engine";<ref name="Dorr p.50."/><ref name="Sgarlato_p40-46"/> 28% of all F-14 accidents were attributed to the engine. The TF30 was originally designed for the flight envelope of bomber applications, so in air combat they proved extremely susceptible to [[compressor stall]]s especially at a high angle of attack and during rapid throttle transients or above {{convert|30000|ft|m|abbr=on}}, which could easily result in loss of control, severe yaw oscillations, and could lead to an unrecoverable [[Flat spin (aviation)|flat spin]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Holding |first=Alex |date=8 December 2024 |title=The U.S. Navy's Great Mistake: Retiring the F-14 Tomcat Fighter Too Early? |url=https://www.19fortyfive.com/2024/12/the-u-s-navys-great-mistake-retiring-the-f-14-tomcat-fighter-too-early/|work=www.19fortyfive.com |location= |access-date=17 December 2024}}</ref> A high frequency of turbine [[Turbine engine failure|blade failures]] led to the reinforcement of the entire engine bay to limit damage from such failures. At specific altitudes, exhaust produced by missile launches could cause an engine compressor [[stall (engine)|stall]].  This led to the development of a bleed system that temporarily blocks the frontal intake ramp and reduces engine power during missile launch.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

The upgraded F-14A+, later redesignated F-14B, and F-14D were equipped with the General Electric F110-GE-400. The F110 provided a significant increase in thrust, with a static uninstalled thrust of {{convert|26950|lbf|kN|0}}; installed thrust is {{convert|23400|lbf|kN}} with afterburner at sea level, which rose to {{convert|30200|lbf|kN|abbr=on}} at Mach 0.9.<ref name=SAC_F-14D>{{cite report |title=Standard Aircraft Characteristics (SAC) F-14D |url=https://www.alternatewars.com/SAC/F-14D_Tomcat_SAC_-_July_1985_(Partially_Declas).pdf |date=July 1985 |access-date=16 January 2023 |archive-date=1 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101005424/http://www.alternatewars.com/SAC/F-14D_Tomcat_SAC_-_July_1985_(Partially_Declas).pdf |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NAVAIR">[https://info.publicintelligence.net/F14AAD-1.pdf NAVAIR 01-F-14AAD-1A F-14D NATOPS FLIGHT MANUAL] January 2004 PART 1 CH-2 Section 2.2 "Engine" pg "2–9".</ref> The increased thrust gave the Tomcat a better than 1:1 thrust-to-weight ratio at low fuel quantities, and the rate of climb was increased by 61%. The basic engine thrust without afterburner was powerful enough for carrier launches. While this did result in fuel savings, the main reason not to use afterburner during carrier launches was that if an engine failed the F110's thrust in full afterburner would produce a yawing moment too abruptly for the pilot to correct. Thus the launch of an F-14B or F-14D with afterburner was rare, while the F-14A required full afterburner unless very lightly loaded. The F110 was also more efficient, allowing the Tomcat to cruise comfortably above {{convert|30000|ft|m|abbr=on}}, which increased its range and survivability as well as endurance for time on station. In the overland attack role, this gave the F-14B and F-14D 60% more striking range or one-third more time on station.<ref>{{cite web|title=F-14D History and Specifications|url=http://www.topedge.com/alley/text/f14d/f14d.htm|website=TopEdge.com|publisher=Top Edge Engineering|access-date=6 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223113220/http://www.topedge.com/alley/text/f14d/f14d.htm|archive-date=23 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The F-14B arrived in time to participate in Desert Storm.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

With the TF30, the F-14's overall [[thrust-to-weight ratio]] at [[maximum takeoff weight]] is around 0.56, considerably less than the F-15A's ratio of 0.85; when fitted with the F110 engine, an improved thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.73 at maximum weight and 0.88 at normal takeoff weight was achieved.<ref name="Spick_p81">Spick 2000, p. 81.</ref> Despite having large differences in static thrust, the TF30-equipped F-14A and the F110-equipped F-14B and F-14D were rated at the same top speed.{{refn|The F-14's maximum speed is limited by the scheduling of the inlet ramps, and the inlet ramp programming for the F110 was optimized more for transonic performance; at higher speeds, the installed dynamic thrust of the TF30 actually exceeds the F110's.|group=N}}<ref>{{bulleted list|{{Cite book |url=http://server.3rd-wing.net/public/Ked/natops%20F14B.pdf |title=NATOPS Flight Manual Navy Model F-14B Aircraft |year=2001 |id=[[NAVAIR]] 01-F14AAP-1 |access-date=10 August 2023 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109031419/http://server.3rd-wing.net/public/Ked/natops%20F14B.pdf |url-status=live}}|{{Cite book |url=https://info.publicintelligence.net/F14AAD-1.pdf |title=NATOPS Flight Manual Navy Model F-14D Aircraft |publisher= |year=2004 |id=[[NAVAIR]] 01−F14AAD−1}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=TOMCAT! The Grumman F-14 Story |last=Gillcrist |first=Paul |publisher=Schiffer Publishing |year=1994 |isbn=0-88740-664-5 |pages=193}}</ref>

In 1996, two F110-equipped Tomcat crashed after an afterburner failure. In the second crash, lighting the afterburner damaged the afterburner can's lining and led to an explosion. The Navy prohibited the use of afterburner on the F-14A+/B/D below 10,000 feet until GE could redesign the afterburners, a process that took over a year to complete.<ref>{{cite news|title=NAVY WIDENS BAN ON USE OF F-14'S AFTERBURNERS|author=Graham, Bradley|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1996/04/02/navy-widens-ban-on-use-of-f-14s-afterburners/f6311fc4-14b4-49c3-9aa5-b89f09d1993f/}}</ref>

===Avionics and flight controls===
The [[cockpit]] has two seats, arranged in [[tandem]], outfitted with [[Martin-Baker Mk.7|Martin-Baker GRU-7A]] rocket-propelled [[ejection seat]]s, rated from zero altitude and zero airspeed up to 450 [[knot (unit)|knots]].<ref>Dorr 1991, p. 51.</ref> The [[Aircraft canopy|canopy]] is spacious, and fitted with four mirrors to effectively provide all-round visibility. Only the pilot has [[Aircraft flight control system|flight controls]]; the flight instruments themselves are of a hybrid analog-digital nature.<ref name="baugher2"/> The cockpit also features a [[head-up display]] (HUD) to show primarily navigational information; several other avionics systems such as communications and direction-finders are integrated into the AWG-9 radar's display. A feature of the F-14 is its [[F-14 CADC|Central Air Data Computer]] (CADC), designed by [[Garrett AiResearch]], that forms the onboard integrated flight control system. It uses a [[MOSFET]]-based [[Large-Scale Integration]] [[chipset]].<ref>Holt, Ray M. [http://firstmicroprocessor.com/ "The F-14A 'Tom Cat' Microprocessor."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090909132907/http://firstmicroprocessor.com/ |date=9 September 2009}} firstmicroprocessor.com, 23 February 2009. Retrieved: 8 December 2009.</ref>

[[File:F-14 Tomcat with landing gear down.jpg|thumb|left|F-14 with landing gear deployed]]
[[File:Grumman F-14 Tomcat nose detail.jpg|thumb|left|F-14D AN/AAS-42 IRST and the TCS camera placed side-by-side under the nose]]

The aircraft's large nose contains a two-person crew and several bulky [[avionics]] systems. The main element is the Hughes AN/AWG-9 [[X band]] radar; the antenna is a {{convert|36|in|cm|abbr=on}}-wide [[planar array]], and has integrated [[Identification friend or foe]] antennas. The AWG-9 has several search and tracking modes, such as [[Track while scan]] (TWS), Range-While-Search (RWS), [[Pulse-Doppler]] Single-Target Track (PDSTT), and Jam Angle Track (JAT); a maximum of 24 targets can be tracked simultaneously, and six can be engaged in TWS mode up to around {{convert|60|mi|abbr=on}}. [[Cruise missile]]s are also possible targets with the AWG-9, which [[Look-down/shoot-down|can lock onto and track small objects even at low altitude]] when in Pulse-Doppler mode.<ref name="baugher2"/> For the F-14D, the AWG-9 was replaced by the upgraded APG-71 radar. The [[Joint Tactical Information Distribution System]] (JTIDS)/Link 16 for data communications was added later on.<ref>[http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1235.html "Interoperability: A Continuing Challenge in Coalition Air Operations."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307061227/http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1235.html |date=7 March 2012}} RAND Monograph Report. pp. 108, 111. Retrieved: 16 November 2010.</ref>

The F-14 also features [[Electronic countermeasure|electronic countermeasures (ECM)]] and [[radar warning receiver]] (RWR) systems, [[Chaff (radar countermeasure)|chaff]]/[[Flare (countermeasure)|flare]] dispensers, fighter-to-fighter data link, and a precise [[inertial navigation system]].<ref name="baugher2"/> The early navigation system was inertial-based; point-of-origin coordinates were programmed into a navigation computer and [[gyroscope]]s would track the aircraft's every motion to calculate distance and direction from that starting point. [[Global Positioning System]] later was integrated to provide more precise navigation and redundancy in case either system failed. The chaff/flare dispensers are located on the underside of the fuselage and on the tail. The F-14 was initially equipped with the AN/ALR-45/50 RWR system, while later production aircraft were equipped with the [[AN/ALR-67]]; the RWR system consists of several antennas on the aircraft's fuselage, which can roughly calculate both direction and distance of enemy radar users; it can also differentiate between search radar, tracking radar, and missile-homing radar.<ref>[http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/an-alr-67.htm "AN/ALR-67(V)3 Advanced Special Receiver."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603201848/http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/an-alr-67.htm |date=3 June 2010}} [[Federation of American Scientists]]. Retrieved: 29 December 2009.</ref>

Featured in the sensor suite was the AN/ALR-23, an [[infrared search and track]] (IRST) sensor using [[indium antimonide]] detectors, mounted under the nose; however the system was unreliable and was replaced by an optical system, Northrop's AAX-1, also designated TCS (TV   Set). The AAX-1 helps pilots visually identify and track aircraft, {{citation needed span|up to a range of {{convert|60|mi|km}} for large aircraft|date=September 2022}}. The radar and the AAX-1 are linked, allowing the one detector to follow the direction of the other.<ref name="wapj19p1256">Lake 1994, pp. 125–126</ref> A dual infrared/optical detection system was adopted on the later F-14D, with the new AN/AAS-42 IRST and the TCS placed side-by-side.<ref name="wapj19p137">Lake 1994, p. 137</ref>

===Armament===
[[File:F-14 carrying AMRAAM.jpg|thumb|F-14 Tomcat carrying an [[AIM-120 AMRAAM]] during a 1982 test]]

The F-14 was designed to combat highly maneuverable aircraft as well as the Soviet anti-ship cruise missile and [[bomber]] ([[Tupolev Tu-16]], [[Tupolev Tu-22]], [[Tupolev Tu-22M]]) threats.<ref name="Spang_VF10"/> The Tomcat was to be a platform for the AIM-54 Phoenix, but unlike the canceled F-111B, it could also engage medium- and short-range threats with other weapons.<ref name="Spang_Background"/><ref name="Spang_VF10"/> The F-14 is an [[air superiority fighter]], not just a long-range interceptor aircraft.<ref name="Spang_VF10"/> Over {{convert|6700|kg|abbr=on}} of stores can be carried for combat missions on several [[hardpoint]]s under the fuselage and under the wing gloves. Commonly, this means a maximum of four Phoenixes or Sparrows on the belly stations, two Phoenixes/Sparrows on the wing hardpoints, and two Sidewinders on the wing glove hardpoints.{{citation needed|date=September 2011}} The F-14 is also fitted with an internal 20&nbsp;mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. The Tomcat could also support MK-80 - MK-84 GBUs on its hardpoints. While in this configuration it was known to pilots as a "Bombcat".{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

Operationally, the capability to hold up to six Phoenix missiles was never used, although early testing was conducted; there was never a threat requirement to engage six hostile targets simultaneously and the load was too heavy to safely recover aboard an aircraft carrier in the event that the missiles were not fired. During the height of Cold War operations in the late 1970s and 1980s, the typical weapon loadout on carrier-deployed F-14s was usually two AIM-54 Phoenixes, augmented by two AIM-9 Sidewinders, three AIM-7 Sparrows, a full loadout of [[20 mm caliber|20 mm]] ammunition and two drop tanks.{{citation needed|date=September 2011}} The Phoenix missile was used twice in combat by the U.S. Navy, both over Iraq in 1999,<ref>Rausa, Zeno. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090405151051/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3834/is_199907/ai_n8861814/pg_4/ Vinson/CVW-11 "Vinson/CVW-11 report."]}} ''Wings of Gold'', Summer 1999. Retrieved: 8 December 2009.</ref><ref>Holmes 2005, pp. 16, 17.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=852 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061002103651/http://www.defenselink.mil/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=852 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 October 2006 |title=Briefing |publisher=defenselink.mil |date=5 January 1999 |access-date=8 December 2009}}</ref> but the missiles did not score any kills.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} According to retired RIO Dave Baranek, the first two launch failures, on January 5, 1999, occurred when two F-14D Super Tomcats, carrying AIM-54Cs, fired two Phoenix missiles at a pair of MiG-23 jets. The missiles' rocket motors did not ignite because they were improperly armed prior to launch from the carrier.<ref>Cooper, Tom, In The Claws of the Tomcat, Helion & Company, 2021, p.63</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Launching the Phoenix and dogfighting against the F-15: Q & A with F-14 Tomcat RIO Dave "Bio" Baranek Part 2|url=https://theaviationgeekclub.com/launching-the-phoenix-and-dogfighting-against-the-f-15-q-a-with-f-14-tomcat-rio-dave-bio-baranek-part-2/ |date=3 March 2021 |access-date=9 August 2023}}</ref> However, as two F/A-18s chased the two MiG-23s, one MiG-23 ran out of fuel and crashed, killing the pilot.  The US Navy did not claim a kill, but Captain James T. Knight, commander of CVW-11, said "Screw him...a kill is a kill."<ref>Cooper, Tom, In The Claws of the Tomcat, Helion & Company, 2021, p.64</ref> On 14 September 1999, an F-14D assigned to CVW-2 aboard the [[aircraft carrier]] {{USS|Constellation|CV-64|6}} fired an AIM-54C missile at a MiG-23 at very long range.  The MiG-23 quickly turned and fled, and was able to outrun the missile.  Lieutenant Commander Coby "Coach" Loessberg, the Super Tomcat's pilot, commented afterward that had the Tomcat been closer to the center of the envelope, at optimal speed and altitude, a kill would have been more likely.<ref>Cooper, Tom, In The Claws of the Tomcat, Helion & Company, 2021, pp. 64-5</ref>

[[File:Irani F-14 Tomcats carrying AIM-54 Phoenixs.jpg|thumb|Two Iranian Tomcats equipped with multiple missiles, {{Circa|1986}}, in the midst of a project to adapt [[I-Hawk]] surface-to-air missiles for F-14s<ref name=Ward />]]
Iran made use of the Phoenix system, claiming [[List of Iranian aerial victories during the Iran–Iraq war|dozens of kills]] with it during the 1980–1988 [[Iran–Iraq War]]. Due to the shortage of air-to-air missiles as a result of sanctions, Iran tried to use other missiles on the Tomcat.  It attempted to integrate the Russian [[R-27 (air-to-air missile)|R-27R]] "Alamo" BVR missile, but was apparently unsuccessful.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Taghvaee|first=Babak|date=23 August 2018|title=New Claws for the Persian Cats|url=https://www.key.aero/article/new-claws-persian-cats|access-date=30 December 2020|website=Key.Aero|quote=Integration of AIM-9J and AIM-7E-2 with the Tomcat’s weapons system was a temporary solution for Iran and because of that, the deputy of Industrial Research and SSJ started working in the 1990s on plans for integrating the Russian Vympel R-27R medium-range semi-active radar homing AAM with the AWG-9 radar. The project was eventually abandoned because of insurmountable technical issues. There was a similar project to integrate the short-range Vympel R-73E with the F-14’s ire control system but this didn’t work because of the lack of an infrared search and track (IRST) system on Iran's Tomcats. The missile's performance when used in conjunction with an F-14 was much inferior to that achieved when it was launched from a MiG-29. Launching the R-73E without input from an IRST reduced the missile’s range to less than what Tomcat’s could achieve with their ageing AIM-9Js.|archive-date=31 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201231034005/https://www.key.aero/article/new-claws-persian-cats|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1985, Iran started Project Sky Hawk, attempting to adapt [[I-Hawk]] surface-to-air missiles, which Iran had in its inventory, for F-14s. The modified missiles were successfully tested in 1986 and one or two were used in combat, but the project was abandoned due to guidance problems.<ref name=Ward>{{cite book |last1=Ward |first1=Steven R. |title=Immortal, Updated Edition: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces |date=2014 |publisher=Georgetown University Press |isbn=9781626160323 |page=272 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MOuVAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA272 |language=en |access-date=7 November 2020 |archive-date=13 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313163850/https://books.google.com/books?id=MOuVAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA272 |url-status=live}}</ref>