When an F-14 RIO and his pilot outran a USAF F-15 aggressor during a TOPGUN mission with their “Bombcat” fully loaded

“We loaded an F-14B Tomcat with 4 x MK-83 in the tunnel, 2 x drop tanks, 2 x AIM-7 Sparrow, and 2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder. Our mission was to do a self-escort into the target area after splitting off from our F-18 escorts.” Lt Cdr Phil Nelson, former F-14 Tomcat RIO

Designed in 1968 to replace the controversial F-111B, which was then being developed for the Navy’s carrier-based fighter fleet, the F-14 Tomcat featured P&W TF30 engines and the AWG-9 system, and it was equipped with six Phoenix missiles originally meant for the F-111B. A completely new fighter was built around these components, focusing on both close-range combat “claws” and long-range missile engagements.

Besides its exceptional air combat abilities, the Tomcat was also an effective medium-range strike aircraft capable of performing in challenging weather conditions.

Nicknamed the “Bombcat,” the F-14 was initially able to drop basic iron bombs and cluster munitions and later gained the ability to carry both laser-guided and satellite-guided bombs. The Tomcat fleet included models such as the F-14A, F-14B, and F-14D.

“As an RIO (with 3200+ hrs in type), I had the privilege of flying all three versions of the aircraft during a tour with VX-4 from 1987-1989,” Lt. Cdr. Phil Nelson, former F-14 Tomcat RIO, recalls in the comments of the above YouTube video featuring former Northrop Grumman Vice President Mike Ciminera explaining why the F-14 Tomcat was the Ultimate Fighter.

“During that time, we reconstituted the Tomcats’ air-to-ground capabilities and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that it could be the ultimate Navy strike fighter.

“In mid-1989, during a TOPGUN class at Fallon, VX-4 provided the striker role. We loaded an F-14B with 4 x MK-83 in the tunnel (we were using BRU-9 ejector racks, vice the certified fleet standard BRU-32), 2 x drop tanks, 2 x AIM-7 Sparrow, and 2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder. Our mission was to do a self-escort into the B-19 target area after splitting off from our F-18 escorts. Our initial run-in altitude was 28K’ and with that load, we were doing 1.2 Mach without afterburners.

“We split S to the deck and were cruising in mil power doing about 550 KTS when I got a tally on an F-15 aggressor at our 3 o’clock/~4-5 miles trying to lead turn us. I told my stick, who promptly lit the burners, and we literally walked away from that F-15 without him even coming close to getting a shot.”

Nelson continues;

“A little more historical data regarding the Tomcat 21 and other advanced F-14 concepts. When these proposals were being developed for presentation in the 5-sided wind tunnel, SecDef Dick Cheney had just wiped out Naval Aviation (I was in the Pentagon from 1991 to 1993) by canceling the A-12, A-6F, NATF, and truncating the F-14D buy to 55 aircraft. Mac D [McDonnell Douglas] was all over the building getting face time with everyone, touting their Hornet 2000 “upgrade” to the F-18C (which became the F/A-18E/F).

“For whatever reason, someone in the SEC DEF office or PA&E had a burr up their butt about Grumman and would not take the Grumman presentations. Shortly after the 1st Gulf War concluded, in a social setting, Adm Dunleavey, OP-05 at the time commented to RADM “Sweetpea” Allen and myself that they had ‘picked’ McDonnell Douglas to proceed with the Hornet 2000 ‘Upgrade’. And that was how the Navy ended up spending $5B to grow the Hornet to the same size as an F-14 but without the kinematic/range or load-carrying capability of the Tomcat.”

Photo by LCDR Dave Parsons / U.S. Navy