The US Navy has retired the F-14 Tomcat, from carrier operations, as of a few days ago. 32 years of service with the fleet. The Tomcat was designed around a radar system and was the only aircraft capable of firing the long range AIM-54 Phoenix missile at multiple targets. What's going to happen with all those half million dollar missiles now? Some ex-Navy are not too thrilled with the demise of the F-14.
“One of the reasons the Tomcat is going away is because it’s so hard to fix,” Howe said. “I’m happy for my young maintenance guys, because they’ve worked their tails off and they can fix just about anything. So, this transition to the Super Hornet, because that particular aircraft is so much easier to maintain, will be an easy one for them.”
It's being replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
An F/A-18 Super Hornet breaking the sound barrier.
BTW, although I was a Corpsman and researcher in the Navy, I've always been interested in high tech military equipment, especially aircraft and ships.
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