Latest news with #F-14s
Business Insider
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Satellite image of an Iranian airport shows an American-made F-14 Tomcat that Israel turned into a burned wreck
The Israeli military said it bombed two Iranian F-14 Tomcats in Tehran earlier this week. A new satellite image shows that one of the fighter jets is destroyed while the other looks damaged. The US sold dozens of F-14s to Iran in the 1970s when the two countries still had ties. New satellite imagery of an Iranian airfield shows two US-made F-14 fighter jets — one of which looks to be totally destroyed — after they were hit by Israeli airstrikes earlier in the week. The image, captured on Friday by US commercial satellite imaging company Maxar Technologies and obtained by Business Insider, shows the two F-14s at a facility at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran. One of the F-14s appears to have taken a hit near the nose, although the full extent of the damage is unclear. However, the other jet directly next to it was reduced to a burned wreck. Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said on Monday that an IDF drone struck two Iranian F-14s, marking "another loss of strategic weaponry for the enemy." The military published footage showing a direct hit on each aircraft. RECAP of Our Recent Operations Over Tehran: 🛫 Strike on two F-14 fighter jets that were located at an airport in Tehran. These jets were intended to intercept Israeli aircraft. ❌ Thwarted a UAV launch attempt toward Israel. 🎯 Eliminated a launch cell minutes before launch… — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 16, 2025 The F-14 Tomcat is a multi-role fighter jet made by the US aerospace corporation formerly known as Grumman Aerospace Corporation, now Northrop Grumman. Designed to be launched from aircraft carriers, the plane was introduced by the US Navy in the 1970s and participated in combat missions around the world over the next few decades. The Navy stopped flying the F-14 in 2006, after replacing it with the F/A-18 Super Hornet made by US defense manufacturer Boeing. However, the F-14 has remained a celebrated aircraft, in part because of its spotlight in the "Top Gun" blockbusters. The US sold nearly 80 F-14s to Iran, once an American partner, before the 1979 Iranian Revolution ended relations between the two countries. Washington cut support and supplies of spare parts for the Tomcats, and Tehran's inventory slowly declined over time as maintenance and logistical challenges mounted. Iran still has its jets, though, and is the only remaining operator. Iran's F-14s, like much of its air force, are relatively obsolete due to international sanctions and embargoes that prevent the country from modernizing its fleet. Tehran also operates other aging aircraft, including Soviet-era Su-24s and MiG-29s and US-made F-5s. The limitations of its airpower have forced Iran to rely on building a large arsenal of ballistic missiles and attack drones. Tehran was said to have purchased newer Su-35 aircraft from Russia, although it's unclear if any have been delivered. Israel has struck additional aircraft beyond the two F-14s, including at least one aerial refueling tanker and eight attack helicopters, since beginning a new operation last Friday aimed at degrading Iran's nuclear program, a longtime goal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Over the past week, Israeli fighter jets have carried out widespread airstrikes across Iran, targeting its nuclear facilities, top scientists, senior commanders, missile launchers, air defenses, and other high-profile military infrastructure. The Iranians have responded by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is weighing whether to use US assets to strike Iran's most hardened nuclear sites. Iran has said that it will retaliate if American forces intervene in the conflict.
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Iran's F-14 Tomcats are the last of their kind. Israel's been blowing some of them up.
The F-14 Tomcat, made famous by the "Top Gun" films and its storied history with the US Navy, is a dying breed. Long since retired by the US military, Iran is the only remaining operator. Israel, however, has been blowing some of them up lately as it targets Iran's military capabilities and nuclear and missile programs. In the 1986 "Top Gun" film, Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, played by actor Tom Cruise, buzzes the tower, launches off aircraft carriers, and dogfights hostile MiGs in an F-14. And in the 2022 sequel, the jet returns for an intense fight against advanced enemy jets. Hollywood hype for the aircraft aside, the Tomcat, an air superiority fighter made by US aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman, is a celebrated combat aircraft within the Navy. First introduced in the 1970s, it was a highly capable aircraft that saw use in conflicts from Vietnam to the Middle East. The US Navy retired the last of its F-14s in 2006 following the introduction of Boeing's carrier-based F/A-18 Super Hornet, a multi-role aircraft considered easier to maintain. Once allies, the US sold F-14s to Iran in the mid-1970s, before revolution upended relations and support. Iran has managed to keep some operational despite US sanctions and attempts to stop Iran from obtaining parts. These jets are now coming under fire, though. On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces shared footage of a strike on two F-14s at an airport in Tehran. 🛫 Strike on two F-14 fighter jets that were located at an airport in Tehran. These jets were intended to intercept Israeli aircraft. ❌ Thwarted a UAV launch attempt toward Israel. 🎯 Eliminated a launch cell minutes before launch… — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 16, 2025 Just how many Iran F-14s Iran has left is unclear, though the fleet is believed to be fairly limited. The jets hit by Israel appear to have been unflyable, but their parts may have been key to keeping Iran's remaining ones in the sky. Canibalization of parts is not uncommon when logistics and supply lines are strained. An iconic American jet Richard Aboulafia, an aviation expert and the managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, told Business Insider that when the F-14 was introduced, it was "incredibly cutting edge and held numerous records for years to come." Iran's jets, he said, are "kind of a time capsule." Aboulafia characterized them as "ghosts of the Cold War." The US wanted interceptor aircraft that could counter the Soviet Union's long-range bombers and the increasing threat of long-range missiles. That need gave birth to the F-14, built to replace the F-4 Phantom II made by McDonnell Douglas. The new jet came with an advanced radar, the ability to track multiple targets, and adjustable wings. The Tomcat was also the only aircraft at the time that could carry the AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missile, which could hit targets at 100 nautical miles, far beyond visual range. Being able to make long-range air-to-air kills was critical at a time when the US needed to protect aircraft carriers from bombers. The US first deployed the F-14 during Operation Frequent Wind, flying combat air patrols during the evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. The Tomcat scored its first combat kills with the US Navy in 1981 against Libyan Su-22s. It conducted air defense missions during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The fighter later saw more combat in Iraq and Afghanistan as well. The jet's advanced features and use in some of the US's most important campaigns makes them a key piece of US military aviation history. The "Top Gun" films then elevated the plane in popular culture. The US Tomcats that didn't last The Tomcats were impressive planes, but the F-14s faced problems with expensive spare parts and high maintenance needs. The Navy also wanted a more versatile aircraft. The Super Hornet that succeeded the Tomcat was intended to bring improved features, reduced maintenance load, and the ability to execute air-to-ground strikes, as well as engage in air-to-air combat. The US Navy had many of the jets scrapped, but it has some inoperable models on display at Florida's National Naval Aviation Museum and New York's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The end of the US F-14 program left Iran as the only nation that had them in service. The US went out of its way to cripple Iran's F-14 program, destroying aircraft, implementing sanctions, and choking off the supply of F-14 parts that it needed to keep the jets flying. Iran's F-14s Iran acquired a total of 79 F-14 Tomcats from the US before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, so Iran had the jets when the Iran-Iraq War started in 1980, with Iran using them in pursuit of air superiority and for air defense. Iran said its F-14s shot down more than 100 Iraqi aircraft. When the US cut off support and spare parts for Iran's F-14s. Iran developed its own maintenance capabilities and found black market solutions, but Iran's F-14 numbers dwindled as time went on. Aboulafia said that Iran uses the jets almost as Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, which help air forces with surveillance and command and control, "because of the power of that radar." He called it "the best tool they had to see aerial threats." Iran does not have a strong air force, with its force made up of obsolete Western, Soviet, and Chinese aircraft. The Tomcat "was really the only thing that Iranians could have flown to have threatened some of the Israeli airstrikes," retired US Army Maj. Gen. Gordon "Skip" Davis, the former deputy assistant secretary-general for NATO's defense-investment division, told Business Insider. "Not really the F-35s, but the F-15s," he said. "And so I think it was a very, to me, brilliant move to focus on them early on." With limited airpower, Iran is heavily dependent on ground-based air defenses, which the Israelis are also systematically wiping out. Israel says that it has achieved air superiority over Iran, meaning that Iran's ability to stop Israel in its airspace is limited. Israel flies advanced jets like its unique F-35Is. Iran said earlier this year that it had purchased Russian-made Sukhoi-35 fighter jets, but when, and if, those could arrive is unclear.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Israel Claims Destruction Of Two Iranian F-14; Tehran Counters With 'F-35 Downed' Claim
Iran claims its air defense downed a fourth Israeli F-35 near Tabriz, though no evidence was shared and Israel denies any loss. Israel says it destroyed two Iranian F-14s, but Iran insists those were decoys meant to waste missiles. As strikes continue, Israel is reportedly seeking a ceasefire through Western mediators. Watch Read More
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Israel destroys two of Iran's last remaining F-14 Tomcats - iconic US fighter jet from ‘Top Gun'
The Israel Defense Forces has released dramatic footage of its air force destroying two of Iran's last remaining F-14 Tomcats — the iconic US fighter jets made famous by 'Top Gun.' Aerial videos show the moment the two US-made jets are blown up in Israeli drone strikes on an airfield near Tehran. Both airframes are destroyed in the videos, which show a huge ball of flame emerging from the scene of the strikes. 'These jets were intended to intercept Israeli aircraft,' the IDF wrote alongside the footage on X. The devastating strike, part of what the IDF called a wider preemptive operation, was confirmed by its spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, during a Monday press briefing. Further heart-stopping footage of an Israeli strike on Iranian soldiers reportedly preparing to launch drones at Israel was also shared on X by the Times of Israel reporter Emanuel Fabian. The F-14 Tomcat, a two-seater twin-tail fighter aircraft built by US manufacturer Grumman, was retired by the United States Navy almost two decades ago in September 2006, more than three decades after it was introduced in September 1974. However, it has remained in service in Iran, after the pre-Islamist government of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi bought a total of 80 F-14s from the US in the early '70s before the 1979 Islamic Revolution saw relations sour between Washington and Tehran. Iran still has a reported 40 to 42 Tomcats at its disposal, and to this day, remains the only country outside the United States to have ever flown the fighter jet, The Aviationist reports. The F-14 Tomcat famously features in the 1986 action blockbuster 'Top Gun.' Producers paid the US Navy almost $900,000 for flight time in an F-14. The movie starring Tom Cruise was such a hit that the US Navy set up recruitment desks outside movie theaters. An F-14 Tomcat also made an appearance in the sequel, 'Top Gun: Maverick,' in 2022. Reports are conflicted as to the condition of the 50-year-old aircraft seen in the IDF video. Defense analysts reviewing the imagery suggested that the two F-14s seen in the footage were likely no longer airworthy and had been grounded for some time, Defence Blog reported. It comes as the deadly conflict between Israel and Iran enters its fourth day. In Iran, 224 people have been killed, while 24 have died in Israel since hostilities began. Originally published as Israel destroys two of Iran's last remaining F-14 Tomcats - iconic US fighter jet from 'Top Gun'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iranian F-14 ‘Persian Tomcats' Obliterated In Israeli Airstrike
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted infrared targeting camera footage of a pair of F-14A Tomcat fighters being destroyed by air-to-ground munitions as they sat outside hardened aircraft shelters at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran. The strikes were part of Israel's broadening campaign to dismantle Iran's air defense capabilities for good, which includes destroying the Iranian Air Force's fixed-wing fleet. Since the conflict began, I have been posting on social media how this would likely mark the end of the F-14's operational career. Iran has continued to maintain a small cadre of flyable F-14s two decades after the U.S. Navy — the type's only other operator — put the Tomcat out to pasture. — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) June 14, 2025 The Israeli campaign to neuter Iran's air defenses in their totality is a major component of the broader air operation. Not only will it allow Israel to operate freely over Iran as it attempts to destroy the country's nuclear and long-range weapons programs, but it will also likely allow Israel to continue to access Iranian skies long after the core mission ends. This will be critical to ensuring Iran does not reconstitute its nuclear or long-range missile programs. This means destroying all aspects of the country's air defenses, including the regime's rickety fighter force. I actually made a post on X about the two Tomcats in question, just a couple of days ago. These aircraft have been sitting outside the hardened aircraft shelters at the airbase connected to Tehran's international airport for years. Tomcats have provided quick reaction alert (QRA) coverage for Tehran in the past, along with other types, but their main station is the 8th Tactical Air Base at Isfahan. These two jets were in non-flyable condition, as are the vast majority of the survivors of the 79 F-14As delivered to the Shah of Iran back in the 1970s. Then there are these two outcasts that have been baking out there for a few years…. — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) June 14, 2025 Cannibalizing airframes to keep a small number airworthy has been an ongoing practice since not long after the U.S. embargoed all support for Iran's F-14s many decades ago. Since then, Iran has been incredibly resourceful in developing its own support programs for the notoriously complex jets and smuggling components needed to keep some of them in the air. This has also come at great cost just to keep an aircraft with diminishing capabilities in the air. Regardless, Iran's dilapidated air force didn't put up much of a fight against the IAF in the opening waves of Israel's attack, at least that we know about. We also haven't heard of the IRAF flying sorties in the east of the country, as Israel worked to gain air superiority. The threat resident primarily in ground-based air defenses, but still, eliminating Iran's tactical jet fleet once and for all is clearly a major goal. Israel has bombed hardened aircraft shelters at multiple bases in order to ensure this. Imagery from Iran's Hamdan Airbase reveals significant damage after Israel's recent airstrikes – multiple aircraft shelters are compromised alongside cratering on the taxiway & runway — Damien Symon (@detresfa_) June 15, 2025 In the end, it isn't clear exactly how many F-14s remained flyable, let alone operationally relevant in a mission-capable sense, towards the end. Estimates have ranged wildly from a small handful to around 25 in recent years. You can read our report about a single IRAF F-14 that attempted to participate in the flying program at an Iranian airshow here. It's also worth noting that, despite various efforts to upgrade the jets locally and to add new capabilities, the Iranian F-14s suffered some high-profile issues throughout their eventful service in Iran, which included the bloody Iran-Iraq war. As we discussed in the past: '[The] F-14's once-state-of-the-art AN/AWG-9 fire control radar has suffered from low serviceability, with the Tomcat fleet effectively being divided between those with fully functioning radars and those with more diminished capabilities. The current status of any surviving AIM-54 Phoenix and AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles is also a matter of debate, and Iranian programs to introduce alternative weaponry for the F-14 have had only very mixed results, as you can read more about here.' The type was slated for replacement, with Russian Su-35s being the long-rumored candidate to do so. This aircraft would be a quantum leap in capability over the old 'Persian Cats,' but they will not capture the mystique and public fascination of the F-14. In the meantime, it appears that the Su-35s once seen to be earmarked for Iran, or at least some of them, have been exported to another Russian client, Algeria, instead. So it seems clear at this point that if Iran ends up with any air force at all after this is all over, it is very unlikely to include the Tomcat, marking a final end to nearly five-and-a-half decades of continuous service. Contact the author: Tyler@
