Dogfights over Libya.The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable geometry wing aircraft. The F-14 was the United States Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor and tactical reconnaissance platform from 1972 to 2006. It later performed precision strike missions once it was integrated with LANTIRN.It was developed after the collapse of the F-111B project, and was the first of the American teen-series fighters which were designed incorporating the experience of air combat in Vietnam against MiGs.
It entered service in 1972 with the U.S. Navy, replacing the F-4 Phantom II. It was later exported to the Imperial Iranian Air Force in 1976. It was retired from the U.S. Navy fleet on 22 September 2006, having been replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.As of 2007, it remains in service only with
the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.The F-14 began replacing the F-4 Phantom II in USN service starting in September 1974 with squadrons VF-1 Wolfpack and VF-2 Bounty Hunters aboard USS Enterprise and participated in the American withdrawal of Saigon. The F-14 had its first kills on August 19, 1
981 over the Gulf of Sidra in what is known as the Gulf of Sidra incident after two F-14s from VF-41 Black Aces were engaged by two Libyan Su-22 'Fitters'. The F-14s evaded the short range heat seeking AA-2 'Atoll' missile and returned fire, downing both Libyan aircraft. U.S. Navy F-14s once again w
ere pitted against Libyan aircraft on January 4, 1989, when two F-14s from VF-32 shot down two Libyan MiG-23 'Floggers' over the Gulf of Sidra in a second Gulf of Sidra incident.The F-14 was designed to improve on the Phantom's air combat performance in several respects. The F-14's canopy offers the
crew excellent visibility throughout the 360 degrees in a circle. The plane features variable geometry wings that sweep automatically during flight. For high-speed intercept, they are swept back; they swing forward to allow the F-14 to turn sharply and dogfight. The F-14's fuselage and wings allow
it to climb faster than the F-4, while the twin-tail arrangement offers better stability. During the Vietnam conflict, the F-4's lack of a gun was criticized by fighter pilots, and the belated use of a 20 mm gun pod attached to a hardpoint, while useful, was not an optimal solution. As a result, Gru
mman equipped the F-14 with an internal 20 mm Vulcan Gatling-type gun mounted on the left side, and can carry Phoenix, Sparrow, and Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles. The Navy wanted the F-14 to have a thrust-to-weight ratio of unity or greater, though this was not achieved until after the F-14 ent
ered service because of delays in engine development. A higher thrust to weight ratio allows a fighter pilot to use the vertical as well as horizontal dimension when dogfighting. The value of this was clearly demonstrated via the Navy's Top Gun program, begun in March of 1969. F-4 Phantom crews freq
uently fought North Vietnamese MiG-17s. The MiG was lighter and could turn more sharply in a dogfight than the Phantom. However, the Phantom's crew could use its superior thrust to exploit the vertical dimension, and, as one example, Top Gun instructors taught F-4 crews to perform the "egg maneuver,
" wherein a Phantom engaging a MiG would climb sharply, completing a loop inverted and then dive on the hapless enemy. The result was that, after 1970, US Navy fighter crews enjoyed a greater than 12:1 kill ratio over North Vietnamese pilots. The F-14 was designed to incorporate these lessons. The
intended thrust to weight ratio of unity would allow it to outclimb any opposing fighter jet; the swing-wing would allow it to "knife-fight" in the horizontal as well, and the internal gun would ensure the crew had a reliable, lethal weapon to use when knife-fighting.

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