The F-14s that served in Vietnam
The F-14 Tomcat is remembered for its important Navy role during the 1980s and 1990s. However, few people are aware of the brief role it played in the Vietnam War. We look at Operation Frequent Wind, in which the F-14 served.
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat, made famous by Top Gun, served as the U.S. Navy’s top naval fighter jet for decades. Renowned for its impressive speed and range, the F-14 could reach speeds over Mach 2 and had an extraordinary combat radius of 1,841 miles—a range the Navy still misses today.
Equipped with advanced systems like the AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 Phoenix missile, the Tomcat could lock onto and engage multiple targets up to 90 miles away, giving it a distinct advantage in air combat. Its versatile design, featuring variable-sweep wings, enabled the F-14 to excel in both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles. Though retired in 2006, it remains one of the Navy’s most iconic and capable fighter jets.
“Do you feel the need for speed?” This famous line from Top Gun may have catapulted Tom Cruise into stardom, but the true star of the film was the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. At the time, the F-14 was the most advanced naval warplane ever built, combining air superiority with interception capabilities that could shield a carrier group from anything the Soviet fleet could muster.
In terms of performance, the Tomcat certainly delivered on speed, reaching cruising speeds above Mach 2. But its real standout feature was its range—a combat radius of 1,841 miles, unmatched by any naval aircraft since.
Armed with the AIM-54 Phoenix missile, the F-14 could obliterate targets from 90 miles away. This long-range strike capability, combined with the radar system’s ability to track 24 targets and engage six simultaneously, made it an unparalleled force in fleet air defence.
Although the Navy once considered developing a successor, the F-21 Super Tomcat, they ultimately moved forward with the F/A-18 Super Hornet and are now transitioning to the F-35 Lightning II. However, even the F-35, a fifth-generation fighter, lacks some of the unique capabilities that made the F-14 so formidable. There have been murmurs of dissatisfaction within the Navy regarding the loss of capabilities following the Tomcat’s final flight in 2006.
Perhaps one day, the Navy will revisit the idea of building a true successor to the F-14—a jet that many still consider the greatest naval warplane ever built.
