A report on Grumman F-14 Tomcat, Grumman A-6 Intruder and McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet

A U.S. Navy F-14D conducts a mission over the Persian Gulf-region in 2005.
KA-6D Intruder of Attack Squadron 34 (VA-34 "Blue Blasters")
A U.S. Navy F/A-18C in flight
A U.S. Navy F-14D conducts a mission over the Persian Gulf region in 2005.
KA-6D Intruder of Attack Squadron 34 (VA-34 "Blue Blasters")
A U.S. Navy F/A-18C in flight
The F-111B was designed to fulfill the carrier-based interceptor role, but had weight and performance problems, and was not suited to the types of aerial combat that were predominant over Vietnam
YA2F-1 showing the original tilting tailpipes
YF-16 and YF-17 prototypes being tested by the U.S. Air Force
Grumman's VFX entry was designed around the TF30 engine, AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 missile intended for the F-111B; this eventually became the F-14A
An A-6E landing on the aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66), showing the split airbrakes on the tips of its left wing
The Northrop YF-17 Cobra was developed into the carrier-capable F/A-18.
VFA-143 "Pukin Dogs" F-14B and F/A-18E Super Hornet in 2005
An A-6E Intruder aircraft assigned to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).
First preproduction F-18A in October 1978
An F-14D launching an AIM-7 Sparrow; a GBU-10 Paveway II is also carried.
S-3A Viking, A-6E Intruder, and an EA-6B Prowler aircraft are parked on the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) during a storm.
US Navy F/A-18C during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002
An F-14D(R) from VF-213 flying over Iraq on last Tomcat deployment with LANTIRN pod on starboard wing glove station and LGB underneath fuselage.
A U.S. Marine Corps A-6 Intruder destroyed by a rocket and mortar bombardment on Da Nang Air Base in 1968 during the Vietnam War
F/A-18C Hornet performing a high-g pull-up. The high angle of attack causes powerful vortices to form at the leading edge extensions.
F-14 Tomcat with wings in asymmetric sweep during testing for this possible in-flight malfunction
An A-6E Intruder prepares for launch aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
F/A-18C Hornet in transonic flight producing flow-induced vapor cone
Rear view of the F-14 showing the area between the engine nacelles
A-6A of VMA (AW)-242 in 1975
Exhaust nozzles of an RAAF F/A-18
An F-14D prepares to refuel with probe extended.
A-6B on the USS Saratoga (CV-60) in 1971
An F/A-18A Hornet from VFA-132 Privateers in flight, circa 1985
F-14 with landing gear deployed
A-6C of VA-35 Black Panthers
Blue Angels' No. 6 F/A-18A
F-14 Tomcat carrying an AIM-120 AMRAAM during a 1982 test.
A KA-6D refueling an F-14A in 1987
NF101, an F/A-18A Hornet assigned to VFA-195 Dambusters aboard the USS Midway, CV-41 in the 1991 Gulf War.
Two Iranian Tomcats equipped with multiple missiles, circa 1986, in the midst of a project to adapt I-Hawk surface-to-air missiles for F-14s
An A-6E SWIP Intruder of VA-34 flying over Spain during Exercise Matador.
F/A-18C of VFA-192 taking off from USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) in 2005
An F-14A of VF-84 Jolly Rogers, in a 1970s color scheme
Final VA-34 A-6E SWIP Intruder launch from the flight deck of USS George Washington (CVN-73), 1996.
Three RAAF F/A-18As in 2013
An F-14A from VF-114 intercepting a Soviet Tu-95RT "Bear-D" maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
Norden AN/APQ-148 Radar
Canadian CF-188A Hornet off Hawaii. Note the "false cockpit" on the underside of the aircraft for confusing enemy pilots during dogfights.
An F-14A of VF-32 during Operation Desert Storm with a KC-135 Stratotanker and two EA-6B Prowlers in the background
A-6F prototype in 1987
Finnish Air Force F/A-18 at Rissala Airport
A Navy F-14D flying over the skies of Afghanistan on a precision bombing mission in November 2001.
US Marine Corps EA-6A Intruder electronics aircraft of VMCJ-2 Playboys aboard USS America in 1974 during a visit to Scotland.
An F/A-18 of the Kuwaiti Air Force
The last F-14 launch from a carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt on 28 July 2006
A-6E Intruder of VA-52, 1981
RMAF F/A-18D returning to base after a national day flypast
Iranian ace Jalil Zandi is credited with shooting down 11 Iraqi aircraft during the Iran–Iraq War, making him the highest scoring F-14 pilot.
A Grumman A-6 Intruder on display at Grumman Memorial Park
EF-18 A taking off and banking to the left on 2015
Formation flight of Iranian Tomcats, 2008
An A-6 Intruder on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center.
Hugo Wolf F/A-18C full-scale training simulator, X-5099
Close-up view of the distinctive afterburner petals of the GE F110 engine
An A-6F Intruder prototype on display at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, New York City
Swiss Air Force Hornet F/A-18C at RIAT 2019
An upgraded F-14D(R) Tomcat with the ROVER transmit antenna circled with USS Theodore Roosevelt in the background
An A-6E Intruder on display at Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
An F/A-18B Hornet assigned to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School
Grumman's proposed F-14 Interceptor for USAF Aerospace Defense Command in 1972 with the simulated "Buzz Code" and Aerospace Defense Command livery and emblem on the tail
Orthographic projection of an A-6 Intruder
A Marine F/A-18D of VMFAT-101 prepares for takeoff
F-14 Tomcat operators as of 2014 (former operators in red)
A-6 ordnance, 1962
A VFA-11 F/A-18F Super Hornet performing evasive maneuvers during an air power demonstration above USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)
An IRIAF F-14 Tomcat landing at Mehrabad, Iran.
X-53, NASA's modified F/A-18
F-14A Tomcat of NFWS (TOPGUN) NAS Miramar c. 1993
F/A-18C of the Swiss Air Force taxis for takeoff
Front view of an F-14A at Yokota Air Base, Tokyo, Japan, 2003
F/A-18 operators are in blue
F-14A BuNo 162689 at the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda, California, 2009
Royal Malaysian Air Force Boeing F/A-18 Hornet during Cope Taufan 2012
An F-14A on display at Grumman Memorial Park in New York
U.S. Navy F/A-18C from VFA-131 launches from French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle off the Virginia Capes.
F-14A BuNo 160661 on display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center's Aviation Challenge facility in Huntsville, Alabama, 2009
F/A-18A Hornets in various color schemes
YF-14A at the Cradle of Aviation Museum
F/A-18B Hornets in various color schemes
F-14B at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
An F/A-18A Hornet on display at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
F-14A of VF-84 "Jolly Rogers" at the Museum of Flight
F/A-18A on display at the Air Zoo
Grumman F-14 Tomcat drawings
3-view drawing of the F/A-18 Hornet
F-14A of VF 111 "Sundowners" (USS Carl Vinson)
VX-4 F/A-18 with ten AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9 Sidewinders
F-14B from the VF-211 Fighting Checkmates carrying six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles.
M61 Vulcan on display at Miramar Airshow
Tomcat logo
An US Marine Corps F/A-18C of VMFA-323, launches off the flight deck of the USS Nimitz.
Marines perform maintenance on an F/A-18D of VMFA-242

Its versatility and reliability have proven it to be a valuable carrier asset, though it has been criticized for its lack of range and payload compared to its earlier contemporaries, such as the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in the fighter and strike fighter role, and the Grumman A-6 Intruder and LTV A-7 Corsair II in the attack role.

- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet

Thus, when the A-6E was scheduled for retirement, its precision strike mission was initially taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat equipped with a LANTIRN pod.

- Grumman A-6 Intruder

In the 1990s, with the pending retirement of the Grumman A-6 Intruder, the F-14 air-to-ground program was resurrected.

- Grumman F-14 Tomcat

During Operation Desert Storm of the Gulf War, most air-to-ground missions were left to LTV A-7 Corsair II, A-6 Intruder and McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet squadrons, while the F-14s focused on air defense operations.

- Grumman F-14 Tomcat

The Intruder remained in service for a few more years before being retired in favor of the LANTIRN-equipped F-14D Tomcat, which was in turn replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in the U.S. Navy and the twin-seat F/A-18D Hornet in the U.S. Marine Corps.

- Grumman A-6 Intruder
A U.S. Navy F-14D conducts a mission over the Persian Gulf-region in 2005.

6 related topics with Alpha

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U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet

Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

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U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
VFA-143 "Pukin Dogs" F-14B and F/A-18E in 2005
F/A-18F Super Hornet (left) and a F/A-18A Hornet (right)
Four F/A-18Fs of VFA-41 "Black Aces" in a trail formation. The first and third aircraft have AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR pods, and the last aircraft has a buddy store tank
An F/A-18F Super Hornet named "Green Hornet", during a supersonic test flight in 2010.
An F/A-18F refueling an F/A-18E over the Bay of Bengal, 2007
Oval Hornet air intakes vs Rectangular Super Hornet intake ramp
The Super Hornet's S-duct-like air intake partially conceals engine blades from radar waves
Two U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets fly a combat patrol over Afghanistan in 2008. The aircraft in the background is deploying infra-red flares
Aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), a mechanic performs system checks from the cockpit of a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet with three multifunction displays.
F/A-18E Super Hornet launching from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72)
F/A-18F being refueled over Afghanistan in 2009
An F-111C (at left) with one of the RAAF's first two F/A-18Fs.
An RAAF F/A-18F shortly after it first arrived in Australia
A RAAF Super Hornet at the 2019 Brisbane Festival
F/A-18F Super Hornet taxis to the runway for takeoff at Aero India 2011
An F/A-18F breaking the sound barrier.
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet operators 2010
A VFA-11 F/A-18F Super Hornet performing evasive maneuvers during an air power demonstration
A VFA-122 F/A-18F pulling a high-g maneuver at the NAS Oceana "In Pursuit of Liberty" air show, 2004
U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
Super Hornets prepare for a catapult assisted launch on the USS Enterprise
Three view projection of the Super Hornet
F/A-18F at landing on USS John C. Stennis
An F/A-18F parked on the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), as the ship operates in the Arabian Sea, December 2006

The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.

The Super Hornet entered fleet service with the United States Navy in 1999, replacing the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which was retired in 2006; the Super Hornet has served alongside the original Hornet.

The McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II was canceled in 1991 after the program ran into serious problems; it was intended to replace the obsolete Grumman A-6 Intruder.

AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver

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Designed to warn an aircraft's crew of potentially hostile radar activity.

Designed to warn an aircraft's crew of potentially hostile radar activity.

The AN/ALR-67 countermeasures warning and control system is the standard threat warning system for tactical aircraft and was specifically designed for the A-6E/SWIP, AV-8B, F-14B, F-14D and F/A-18.

United States Navy A-7E from VA-146

LTV A-7 Corsair II

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American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought .

American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought .

United States Navy A-7E from VA-146
United States Navy A-7E from VA-146
The first A-7 mock-up in 1964
VA-147 was the first operational USN A-7 squadron, in 1967.
Lynn Garrison in a Chance Vought F4U-7 Corsair leads A-7 Corsair IIs of VA-147, over NAS Lemoore, California on 7 July 1967 prior to the A-7's first deployment to Vietnam on USS Ranger. The A-7A "NE-300" is the aircraft of the Air Group Commander (CAG) of Attack Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2).
A-7Bs of CVW-16 on USS Ticonderoga in 1968
YA-7D-1-CV AF Serial No. 67-14582, the first USAF YA-7D, 2 May 1968. Note the Navy-style refueling probe (retracted beside the cockpit in the standard position, not the air test data probe on the nose cone, which is part of the flight testing equipment) and the modified Navy Bureau Number used as its USAF tail number.
A-7D-7-CV Corsair IIs 70-0976, 70-0989 and 70-0970 of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing in the skies over Southeast Asia. 976 and 989 were retired to AMARC in 1992, 970 is on permanent display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
3d TFS A-7D-10-CV Corsair II 71-0309 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, 1973
A VA-192 A-7E over Vietnam. This aircraft was lost on 2 November 1972.
A-7 Corsair II aircraft of the Iowa (IA) and South Dakota (SD) Air National Guard flying near RAF Waddington, UK. These aircraft were deployed to the United Kingdom from 21 August through 12 September 1979 for NATO operation CORNET Stallion
A-7Es on USS Independence (CV-62) in 1983
A-7E of VA-72 on USS America (CV-66) off Libya in April 1986.
A-7E from VA-72 flying over the Saudi desert during Operation Desert Shield
A-7D-5-CV AF Serial No. 69-6241 of the 4451st Test Squadron / 4450th Tactical Group at Nellis AFB, Nevada in 1984
EA-7L pilot LT Lori "Wrench" Melling (left) and ECMO LT Laura "Moose" Mason (right) of VAQ-34 at Elmendorf AFB, 1987
Prototype YA-7Ds 67-14582 and 67-14584, along with 69-6191 and 69-6217 making last flyover retirement formation over Edwards AFB, California, heading to AMARC, August 1992
A-7A of VA-203, the "Blue Dolphins", at NAS Jacksonville Florida in 1976
TA-7C of VA-174 in 1988
EA-7L of VAQ-34 in 1987
Greek Air Force LTV TA-7C Corsair II departs the Royal International Air Tattoo, UK, 2014
A-7P of the Portuguese Air Force
A Retired A-7E of the Royal Thai Navy in the Royal Thai Air Force Museum
Retired A-7 Corsair II in front of the Veterans' Museum in Halls, Tennessee
A-7D "Speedwell" at Wings Museum
Two USANG Corsairs, a two-seat A-7K and a single-seat A-7D, 1988

The A-7 was largely replaced by newer generation fighters such as the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.

The same engine had also powered several other combat aircraft of the era, including the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark and early Grumman F-14 Tomcats.

An A-7 and an A-6 Intruder were shot down by Syrian surface-to-air missiles (SAM) on 4 December 1983.

Preserved North American P-51A Mustang on display

Yanks Air Museum

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Non-profit 501 (3) organization and museum dedicated to exhibiting, preserving and restoring American aircraft and artifacts in order to show the evolution of American aviation, located at Chino Airport in Chino, California.

Non-profit 501 (3) organization and museum dedicated to exhibiting, preserving and restoring American aircraft and artifacts in order to show the evolution of American aviation, located at Chino Airport in Chino, California.

Preserved North American P-51A Mustang on display
Preserved North American P-51A Mustang on display

Grumman A-6E Intruder

Grumman F-14A Tomcat

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet

Tomcat at Palm Springs Air Museum

Palm Springs Air Museum

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Non-profit educational institution in Palm Springs, Riverside County, California.

Non-profit educational institution in Palm Springs, Riverside County, California.

Tomcat at Palm Springs Air Museum
Grumman F8F Bearcat at Palm Springs Museum
Goodyear FG-1D Corsair

Grumman A-6E Intruder 154162 – on loan

Grumman F-14A Tomcat 160898 – on loan

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet 162403 – on loan

Patuxent River Naval Air Museum

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The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum preserves and interprets the Patuxent River Naval Air Base history and heritage of advancing US Naval aviation technology.

The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum preserves and interprets the Patuxent River Naval Air Base history and heritage of advancing US Naval aviation technology.

Lockheed Martin X-35C on display
Outdoor display at the museum (2003)

Grumman NF-14D Tomcat 161623

Grumman NA-6E Intruder 156997

McDonnell Douglas NF/A-18A Hornet 161353