It's the late 1960s, and the US Navy has a serious problem. Advancements in Soviet
missile and strike aircraft technology have left American aircraft carriers vulnerable
to long-range attack. Meanwhile, on-going dogfights over the skies of Vietnam
has shown that new Soviet MiGs are threatening to outperform the US Navy’s current fleet of
fighter aircraft. What's needed is a brand new airplane that can intercept hostile
targets far away from its home fleet and then out-fly and out-fight them.
With the cost of aircraft design, testing, and manufacturing skyrocketing though,
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara orders the US Air Force and Navy to play nice and develop an
aircraft jointly that can fulfill roles needed by both forces. With the air force already pursuing
the F-111, modifications are made in order to fulfill a new role as a carrier-based interceptor.
As development of a naval-variant F-111 goes along though,
flight testing shows that the aircraft is very poorly suited for carrier-based operations.
It has difficulty remaining stable at supersonic speeds, and was clumsy and difficult to fly when
attempting carrier landings. The plane is so badly suited for carrier ops that several
of the test pilots involved die during flight tests of the Navy's would-be replacement jet.
Realizing that a disaster was in the works, the Department of Defense approves an immediate end
to development of the F-111 for the navy and the exploration of a brand new aircraft for
fleet air defense. This sets back procurement of a replacement for the Navy's F-4 Phantoms
by years, and the Navy is under threat of being outgunned in a fight against the Soviets should
the worst come to pass. US aircraft carriers are at risk of being sent to the bottom of
the sea if a replacement aircraft isn't quickly developed, tested, and procured.
Work immediately begins on several prototypes by various defense contractors,
but the one that catches the Navy's attention is Grumman's variable geometry wing design.
The new Navy fighter is big, so big that its flight characteristics are compromised
by using traditional fixed wings. Instead, Grumman ingenious designs wings capable of
changing their shape as the aircraft flies. By moving its wings back and closer to its body,
the F-14 is capable of superior supersonic performance, and by moving them forward
and out the plane avoids the pitfalls of the F-111 and enjoys smooth flight at low speeds.
Powering the futuristic fighter are two Pratt & Whitney TF-30 engines,
a significantly better engine than any Soviet design. In the large nose section,
the aircraft carries a powerful AN/AWG-9 radar, which allows it to engage six different targets
simultaneously while tracking 18 others. The radar is so powerful and precise, it can even
track and engage fast-flying cruise missiles. For defense, the F-14 is equipped with an electronic
countermeasures suite and radar warning receiver, along with chaff and flare dispensers to confuse
enemy missiles. A fighter-to-fighter data link, a pioneering technology at the time,
allows different F-14s to share targeting information with each other.
But it's on the offense where the F-14 truly shines.
The F-14 was designed to fight Soviet Migs, and shoot down Tupolev bombers as well as ground,
sea, and air-launched cruise missiles. To do this it packed some serious firepower. With an
engagement range of 100 nautical miles, the F-14 could carry two AIM-54 Phoenixes to engage targets
at very long range. At intermediate ranges, the F-14 would use three AIM-7 Sparrows, with two
AIM-9 Sidewinders for shorter ranges. If caught in a dogfight, the F-14 would shred enemies with the
M61 Vulcan cannon, capable of firing hundreds of 20mm rounds in seconds. The F-14 could fly
up to 51,000 feet (15,515m), high enough to catch even the most high-altitude Soviet bombers, and it
could get there at a top speed of 1544 miles per hour (2,485 km/h). Once the F-14 entered service
in 1974, Soviet air forces attacking American carriers would be doing so at great personal risk.
It wouldn't be long before the F-14 was put to the ultimate test.
In 1973 Libya claimed the Gulf of Sidra as its own,
threatening to close off European access to one of the most important oil-shipping ports
in the Mediterranean. In the event of hostilities, Europe would suffer a catastrophic economic blow,
as at the time the Soviet Union held more influence over Libya than NATO.
The United States couldn't let its allies be threatened in this matter, and thus dispatched
ships and aircraft to the region to regularly conduct freedom of navigation exercises.
These maneuvers involved ships and aircraft flying or steaming through the contested waters
in order to delegitimize Libya's claim of exclusivity. With the disputed Gulf
of Sidra not falling under Libyan jurisdiction according to the terms of international law,
Libya would have to choose to either fight the US forces or accept that its claim was not valid.
For the most part, Libya's threats were empty,
though in two separate occasions Libyan jets did fire on American reconnaissance aircraft,
luckily US aircraft were never seriously threatened. This would change in August 1981,
when two aircraft carriers were deployed to the region amidst rising tensions.
The US planned a massive naval exercise meant to act as a show of force and determination,
involving both carrier strike groups. On August 18th, American aircraft took to the
sky as the exercise began, and soon three Libyan Mig 25 Foxbats approached the US carrier groups.
Immediately the carrier's combat air patrols intercepted the Migs and escorted them away.
Desperate to get a fix on the American carriers, the Libyans sent up thirty five pairs of aircraft
towards the carrier battle groups. Amongst the incoming aircraft were Mig 23 Floggers, more
Mig 25s, Sukhoi Su-20s, Su-22s, and Mirage F1s. The incoming aircraft soon found themselves face
to face with fourteen F-14s and F-4 Phantoms, and while the Libyan aircraft turned away peacefully,
it's believed that one of them attempted to fire on a US aircraft but suffered a misfire.
The next day, things would take a turn for the worse.
Hoping to bait another Libyan response, a single S-3A Viking recon plane was
sent to fly a racetrack orbit inside of Libya's illegally claimed exclusion zone. Sure enough,
shortly after beginning its flight, the Viking detected twin SU-22s taking off from a nearby
Libyan air force base. The Viking immediately dove to 500 feet in order to evade Libyan radar, while
a E-2C Hawkeye tracked and vectored in two F-14s, Fast Eagle 102 and Fast Eagle 107 onto the Su-22s.
Flying at full afterburner, the F-14s roared towards the Libyan Su-22s,
who refused to deviate course. The two pairs of aircraft were involved in a game of chicken,
with a closing distance of almost two thousand miles an hour- and
yet at less than a thousand meters to go, both sides refused to blink.
Then, at a distance of 300 meters, one of the Su-22s fired a missile at Fast Eagle 102,
which immediately dove to evade. The Libyans had just made a fatal mistake.
Fast Eagle 102 recovered from its dive and using its superior maneuverability,
quickly turned towards the Su-22s. Surprised at the agility of the American aircraft,
the Su-22s scrambled and tried to out-turn Fast Eagle 102 and 107,
but within moments Fast Eagle 102 had missile lock on one of the Su-22s.
Firing two Sidewinders, Fast Eagle 102 splashed one of the Su-22s, forcing its pilot to eject.
With one enemy down, Fast Eagle 107 asked for permission from his flight leader to
destroy the second Su-22, then maneuvered his F-14 into a clean firing solution.
Seconds later, the second Su-22 was splashed, forcing another eject.
Despite initially having the air speed advantage against the F-14s, which were forced to perform
a 180 turn to face their retreating attackers, the Su-22s proved no match for the F-14s, and
the engagement was over in mere seconds. Not only did the F-14s outmaneuver and outfly the Su-22s,
they were able to catch up to the afterburning Su-22s and splash them after recovering from
being fired upon and executing a hard 180 maneuver that bled off tremendous amounts of air speed.
The F-14 had proven its worth, and Mig pilots around the world knew
there was a new predator in the sky. Libya however had still not learned its lesson.
Just eight years later on January 4th,
1989, the US Navy aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy was on its way to a scheduled port visit in Haifa,
Israel. While operating more than 80 miles north of Libyan territorial waters,
the carrier was concerned about a potential confrontation with Libyan air forces, who
themselves were wary of American attack. Thanks to Libya's attempts to obtain nuclear weapons,
US forces were on constant alert, and the Libyans believed that an American invasion was likely.
With both sides on high alert, a confrontation was inevitable.
Taking no chances as he sailed by Libyan waters, the Kennedy's captain ordered two pairs of F-14s
into the air as a combat air patrol, along with an E-2 Hawkeye to provide early warning
and air control. Detecting the American carrier, the Libyans dispatch a flight oft
two Mig 23s, which immediately turn towards the American carrier.
The Hawkeye detects the Migs taking off and vectors in Gypsy 207 and Gypsy 202 towards
the Libyan pilots. The Migs, which historically have turned back after detecting American F-14s,
instead turn towards the Americans and continue on an intercept course.
Gypsy 207 and 202 close towards the Migs, then turn away from them by a few degrees,
in order to indicate they did not have hostile intent but would not allow the Migs to approach
the American carrier. In response, the Migs turn directly towards the F-14s.
Fearing an escalation, the Americans dive below the Migs so as to confuse the Mig
radar with ocean scattering and prevent their AA-7 Apex missiles from getting a good lock.
Gypsy 207 and 202 once more turn thirty degrees away from the Migs, and once again,
the Migs turn directly into the Americans. This places the American aircraft at jeopardy,
as it presents a much more favorable firing angle to the Migs than the F-14s, so the air warfare
commander aboard the Kennedy authorizes Gypsy 207 and 202 to fire if they feel threatened.
The F-14s repeat their thirty degree offset maneuvers another three times, in a bid to
deescalate the situation, and each time the Migs turn directly into the Americans. With distance
between the two pairs of aircraft shrinking rapidly, Gypsy 207 makes a snap decision- at
such close ranges another thirty degree turn away from the Libyans will place him and his wingman
in serious jeopardy- instead, he turns nose on to the Migs and opens fire with two sparrow missiles.
Both missiles fail to hit their target, and the F-14s undertake a defensive split maneuver. Both
Migs turn towards Gypsy 202, who turns back head-on towards the Migs and opens fire again.
With just a few miles between them, Gypsy 202's missile hits home, and one of the Migs is downed.
Meanwhile, Gypsy 207 executes a sharp right turn to come up behind the two Migs,
and moments after Gypsy 202 splashes his, he opens fire.
A few seconds later, the second Mig is on its way to the bottom of the sea.
The very next day Libya's Muammar Gaddafi calls for an emergency UN session and claims
the US shot down two recon aircraft on a routine mission over international waters.
The US immediately disputes the claim, and shows gun camera footage that clearly shows
AA-7 Apex and AA-8 Aphid missiles equipped on one of the fighters- both of which can be fired
from a head-on position at an enemy fighter. Despite the US firing first, Libya's history
of provocation and firing at US aircraft finds the world taking America's side in the incident.
Despite the US being the developer and primary operator of the F-14,
where it would prove its true mettle would be with the Iranian air force,
likely the most unexpected place for an advanced American combat jet to be.
Thanks to a pre-revolution deal with the US, Iran was equipped with several pairs of F-14s when the
Iran-Iraq war broke out, and despite their very low numbers, the F-14s absolutely dominated
any patch of sky they found themselves in and routinely outgunned Iraq's best Soviet-made Migs.
In the end, the F-14 would go down as one of the best fighter aircraft ever made,
and sadly today the only living planes are the few that Iran still uses and some museum models
in the United States itself. Out of fear of having to face its own formidable aircraft,
the US shredded every single F-14 ever produced after being replaced by the F-18, so that Iran
would never be able to get its hands on any replacement parts for its aging fleet of F-14s.
Now go check out US F-22 Raptor vs Russian Su-35 Fighter-
Which Would Win? Or click this other video instead!