The Super Tomcat has a Raytheon AN/ALR-67(V)4 radar warning system and BAE Systems Information & Electronic Warfare Systems (IEWS) (formerly Sanders) AN/ALQ-126 jammer. The aircraft is equipped with the BAE Systems Integrated Defense Solutions (formerly Tracor) and Lockheed Martin AN/ALE-39 and AN/ALE-29 chaff, flare and decoy dispensers. To supplement TARPS, US Navy F-14s were also fitted with a fast tactical imagery (FTI) line-of-sight system for targeting and reconnaissance. The pod is equipped with a digital imaging system for the transmission of near real-time imagery to the aircraft carrier command centre via a secure UHF radio data link. The F-14 carries a tactical air reconnaissance pod system (TARPS), which carries a recon / optical KS-87B forward or vertical frame camera, a low-altitude panoramic view KA-99 camera together with a Lockheed Martin AN/AAD-5 infrared linescanner.
“The F-14 is armed with a General Electric Vulcan M61A-1 20mm gun.” The F-14D is equipped with a Raytheon AN/APG-71 digital multimode radar, which provides non-cooperative target identification, and incorporates low sidelobe techniques and enhanced frequency agility. A Lockheed Martin infrared search and track system is installed in a sensor pod under the nose. The navigation pod also contains a FLIR and terrain-following radar. The LANTIRN targeting pod includes a dual field of view FLIR and a laser designator / rangefinder. In 1995, the US Navy installed the Lockheed Martin LANTIRN precision strike navigation and targeting pod on the F-14. The first operational deployment of a precision-guided JDAM from an F-14 was in March 2003. The F-14D can carry four joint direct attack munitions (JDAM). The F-14 can carry up to six Phoenix missiles and is capable of firing the missiles almost simultaneously at six different targets. Raytheon AIM-54 Phoenix is a long-range air-to-air missile with range of 150km. Lockheed Martin / Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder is a short-range air-to-air missile with range of 8km. The Raytheon AIM-7 Sparrow is a medium-range radar-guided air-to-air missile with range of 45km. The aircraft can carry the short, medium and long-range air-to-air missiles AIM-9, AIM-7 and AIM-54, and air-to-ground ordnance including the Rockeye bomb and CBU cluster bombs. The aircraft has eight hardpoints for carrying ordnance, four on the fuselage, and two each side under the fixed section of the wings. The wings are swept at 75° for aircraft carrier stowage. The variable sweep wings are set at 20° for take-off, loitering and landing and automatically change to a maximum sweep of 68°, which reduces drag for high subsonic to supersonic speeds. The variable-sweep wing and the twin almost upright tail fins of the F-14 Tomcat give the aircraft its distinctive appearance. The F-14 is currently in service with Iran Air Force. In July 2006, the F-14 made its last carrier launch and, on 22 September 2006, the US Navy officially retired the F-14 Tomcat. The US Navy operated 338 F-14 aircraft of all three variants, but the aircraft was replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Further upgrades in the radar, avionics and missile capability resulted in the F-14D Super Tomcat which first flew in 1988. In 1987, the F-14B, with an upgraded engine, went into production.
The aircraft was developed by Northrop Grumman to replace the F-4 Phantom fighter and entered service with the US Navy in 1972. The F-14 Tomcat was the US Navy’s carrier-based two-seat air defence, intercept, strike and reconnaissance aircraft.
0 kommentar(er)
