History

The F-14 prototype made it first flight on December 21, 1970.The first of 478 F-14A aircraft entered US Navy service in October 1972 and saw it's first operational flight in September 1974. F-14A aircraft were upgraded to the A+. The upgrade consisted of the replacement of the original Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-414A engines by the the more powerful General Electric F110-GE-400 turbofans. The F-14A+ (later designated F-14B) entered service in 1987.
The F-14D Super Tomcat first took to the air on February 9, 1980. The upgrade included enhanced radar and cockpit, a dual IRST/TV undernose pod, and increased AAM capability. The Tomcat has now been equipped for night-attack bombing duty with the use of a LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting InfraRed for Night) pod. The upgrade allows the F-14 to remain in service until the arrival of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

A total of 79 F-14 A models were exported to Iran. The US Navy and the Imperial Irani Air Force are the only two operators of the type in the world.