A report on Grumman F-14 Tomcat

A U.S. Navy F-14D conducts a mission over the Persian Gulf-region in 2005.
A U.S. Navy F-14D conducts a mission over the Persian Gulf region in 2005.
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
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
VFA-143 "Pukin Dogs" F-14B and F/A-18E Super Hornet in 2005
An F-14D launching an AIM-7 Sparrow; a GBU-10 Paveway II is also carried.
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.
F-14 Tomcat with wings in asymmetric sweep during testing for this possible in-flight malfunction
Rear view of the F-14 showing the area between the engine nacelles
An F-14D prepares to refuel with probe extended.
F-14 with landing gear deployed
F-14 Tomcat carrying an AIM-120 AMRAAM during a 1982 test.
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 F-14A of VF-84 Jolly Rogers, in a 1970s color scheme
An F-14A from VF-114 intercepting a Soviet Tu-95RT "Bear-D" maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
An F-14A of VF-32 during Operation Desert Storm with a KC-135 Stratotanker and two EA-6B Prowlers in the background
A Navy F-14D flying over the skies of Afghanistan on a precision bombing mission in November 2001.
The last F-14 launch from a carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt on 28 July 2006
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.
Formation flight of Iranian Tomcats, 2008
Close-up view of the distinctive afterburner petals of the GE F110 engine
An upgraded F-14D(R) Tomcat with the ROVER transmit antenna circled with USS Theodore Roosevelt in the background
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
F-14 Tomcat operators as of 2014 (former operators in red)
An IRIAF F-14 Tomcat landing at Mehrabad, Iran.
F-14A Tomcat of NFWS (TOPGUN) NAS Miramar c. 1993
Front view of an F-14A at Yokota Air Base, Tokyo, Japan, 2003
F-14A BuNo 162689 at the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda, California, 2009
An F-14A on display at Grumman Memorial Park in New York
F-14A BuNo 160661 on display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center's Aviation Challenge facility in Huntsville, Alabama, 2009
YF-14A at the Cradle of Aviation Museum
F-14B at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
F-14A of VF-84 "Jolly Rogers" at the Museum of Flight
Grumman F-14 Tomcat drawings
F-14A of VF 111 "Sundowners" (USS Carl Vinson)
F-14B from the VF-211 Fighting Checkmates carrying six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles.
Tomcat logo

American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft.

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

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

Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

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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 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.

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 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.

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

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American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.

American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.

The McDonnell F3H-G/H mockup, 1954
Key figures in the F-4 development: David Lewis, Robert Little, and Herman Barkey
An F4H-1F aboard USS Independence (CV-62), April 1960
VF-74 was the first operational U.S. Navy Phantom squadron in 1961
Transcontinental "Operation LANA" in 1961
Cockpit of F-4 Phantom II
435th TFS F-4Ds over Vietnam
USAF F-4 Phantom II destroyed on 18 February 1968, during the enemy attack against Tan Son Nhut, during the Tet Offensive
USAFE F-4G, A-10A and RF-4C, 6 April 1987
A U.S. Navy F-4B from VF-111 dropping bombs over Vietnam, 25 November 1971
The Blue Angels flew the F-4J, 1969–1974
A U.S. Marine F-4B with VMFA-314, flies over South Vietnam in September 1968
Egyptian Air Force F-4E Phantom IIs of the 222nd Tactical Fighter Brigade in formation with a U.S. Air Force 347th Tactical Fighter Wing F-4E Phantom II during exercise Proud Phantom
McDonnell RF-4E Phantom II of the Luftwaffe's AKG52 unit in 1977
Hellenic Air Force RF-4E Phantom II in a special color scheme, lands at RIAT 2008, UK
Iranian F-4E Phantom refueling through a boom during Iran-Iraq war, 1982
An Israeli F-4E on static display in the Olga's Hill neighborhood of Hadera, Israel
JASDF F-4EJ Kais (57-8354 and 87-8407) of 8 Hikōtai in grey air superiority paint scheme, 2002
JASDF RF-4E Kai 57-6913 of 501 Hikōtai in 2017
South Korean F-4E, armed with an AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missile, 19 February 1979
Retired Turkish Air Force F-4E Phantom II, serial number 67-0360, housed at the Istanbul Aviation Museum
An F-4J of the U.S. Navy (foreground), alongside an F-4K of the Fleet Air Arm (background) wait to be catapulted from USS Independence (CV-62), March 1975; one of the major differences can be seen by the higher degree of the British aircraft's extendable nose wheel. Both variants were eventually used by the RAF
The Collings Foundation F-4D Phantom II, with Vietnam-era "Ritchie/DeBellevue" markings, taxis at Selfridge ANGB, May 2005
QF-4E AF Serial No. 74-1626 at McGuire AFB in May 2007 with an A-10 in the background
F-4Fs of the German Air Force, 21 January 1998
Iranian F-4Es, 2009
Spanish Air Force RF-4C Phantom II, 15 June 1993
An F-4F on display described as the "World's largest distributor of MiG parts", because of the high number of this type of enemy aircraft shot down
The Spook
3-side view of the F-4E/F
Structural view of partially disassembled German F-4 Phantoms.
A U.S. Marine Corps RF-4B in September 1982
F-4Gs over Bahrain during Operation Desert Shield
An F4E Phantom II aircraft with the Turkish Air Force takes off from Third Air Force Base Konya, Turkey, during Exercise Anatolian Eagle.
A RAAF F-4E Phantom II at RAAF Base Pearce in 1971

The F-4 continued to form a major part of U.S. military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon in the U.S. Air Force, the F-14 Tomcat in the U.S. Navy, and the F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

A U.S. Navy F/A-18C in flight

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet

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Twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather, carrier-capable, multirole combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft .

Twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather, carrier-capable, multirole combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft .

A U.S. Navy F/A-18C in flight
A U.S. Navy F/A-18C in flight
YF-16 and YF-17 prototypes being tested by the U.S. Air Force
The Northrop YF-17 Cobra was developed into the carrier-capable F/A-18.
First preproduction F-18A in October 1978
US Navy F/A-18C during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002
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/A-18C Hornet in transonic flight producing flow-induced vapor cone
Exhaust nozzles of an RAAF F/A-18
An F/A-18A Hornet from VFA-132 Privateers in flight, circa 1985
Blue Angels' No. 6 F/A-18A
NF101, an F/A-18A Hornet assigned to VFA-195 Dambusters aboard the USS Midway, CV-41 in the 1991 Gulf War.
F/A-18C of VFA-192 taking off from USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) in 2005
Three RAAF F/A-18As in 2013
Canadian CF-188A Hornet off Hawaii. Note the "false cockpit" on the underside of the aircraft for confusing enemy pilots during dogfights.
Finnish Air Force F/A-18 at Rissala Airport
An F/A-18 of the Kuwaiti Air Force
RMAF F/A-18D returning to base after a national day flypast
EF-18 A taking off and banking to the left on 2015
Hugo Wolf F/A-18C full-scale training simulator, X-5099
Swiss Air Force Hornet F/A-18C at RIAT 2019
An F/A-18B Hornet assigned to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School
A Marine F/A-18D of VMFAT-101 prepares for takeoff
A VFA-11 F/A-18F Super Hornet performing evasive maneuvers during an air power demonstration above USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)
X-53, NASA's modified F/A-18
F/A-18C of the Swiss Air Force taxis for takeoff
F/A-18 operators are in blue
Royal Malaysian Air Force Boeing F/A-18 Hornet during Cope Taufan 2012
U.S. Navy F/A-18C from VFA-131 launches from French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle off the Virginia Capes.
F/A-18A Hornets in various color schemes
F/A-18B Hornets in various color schemes
An F/A-18A Hornet on display at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
F/A-18A on display at the Air Zoo
3-view drawing of the F/A-18 Hornet
VX-4 F/A-18 with ten AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9 Sidewinders
M61 Vulcan on display at Miramar Airshow
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.

USAF F-15C during Operation Noble Eagle patrol, 2007

McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle

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American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas .

American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas .

USAF F-15C during Operation Noble Eagle patrol, 2007
USAF F-15C during Operation Noble Eagle patrol, 2007
F-15A cockpit
McDonnell Douglas F-15A (S/N 71-0280) during the type's first flight
F-15C executing a maximum-performance takeoff
AN/APG-63 radar
M61 Vulcan mounted on the side of right engine intake
F-15C underside with external stores
F-15E with speed brake deployed and CFTs fitted
Israeli Air Force F-15C Baz Meshupar (Upgraded Baz) with four kill marks of Syrian warplanes
ASM-135 ASAT test launch from F-15A 76-0084 in 1985
An RSAF F-15 approaches a KC-135 for refueling during Operation Desert Shield.
A USAF F-15C flying over Fresno, California, in 2013
USAF F-15E arrives for the 2014 Royal International Air Tattoo, UK
USAF F-15C fires an AIM-7 Sparrow in 2005
A view of an F-15E cockpit from an aerial refueling tanker.
F-15A 71–0280, the first prototype
NASA F-15B Research Testbed, aircraft No. 836 (AF Ser. No. 74-0141). Note the Quiet Spike adaption to reduce and control sonic booms
Current operators of the F-15 Eagle shown in cyan, and F-15E Strike Eagle in red. Operators of both versions in dark blue.
Two Israeli Air Force F-15I Ra'am from the 69th Squadron
An F-15 of the Royal Saudi Air Force
Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15DJ and F-15J of the 306th TFS
Two F-15s over the coast of Oregon
Schematic diagram of F-15
Front view of an F-15C. Note the conformal FAST PACK fuel tanks on the trailers
Diagram of the F-15A Eagle's weapon loadout
F-15A 76–0020 at the American Air Museum, Imperial War Museum Duxford
F-15A display at the Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB

During the same period, the Navy had ended its VFAX program and instead accepted a proposal from Grumman for a smaller and more maneuverable design known as VFX, later becoming the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.

KA-6D Intruder of Attack Squadron 34 (VA-34 "Blue Blasters")

Grumman A-6 Intruder

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American twinjet all-weather attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace and operated by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

American twinjet all-weather attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace and operated by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

KA-6D Intruder of Attack Squadron 34 (VA-34 "Blue Blasters")
KA-6D Intruder of Attack Squadron 34 (VA-34 "Blue Blasters")
YA2F-1 showing the original tilting tailpipes
An A-6E landing on the aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66), showing the split airbrakes on the tips of its left wing
An A-6E Intruder aircraft assigned to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).
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.
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
An A-6E Intruder prepares for launch aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
A-6A of VMA (AW)-242 in 1975
A-6B on the USS Saratoga (CV-60) in 1971
A-6C of VA-35 Black Panthers
A KA-6D refueling an F-14A in 1987
An A-6E SWIP Intruder of VA-34 flying over Spain during Exercise Matador.
Final VA-34 A-6E SWIP Intruder launch from the flight deck of USS George Washington (CVN-73), 1996.
Norden AN/APQ-148 Radar
A-6F prototype in 1987
US Marine Corps EA-6A Intruder electronics aircraft of VMCJ-2 Playboys aboard USS America in 1974 during a visit to Scotland.
A-6E Intruder of VA-52, 1981
A Grumman A-6 Intruder on display at Grumman Memorial Park
An A-6 Intruder on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center.
An A-6F Intruder prototype on display at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, New York City
An A-6E Intruder on display at Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
Orthographic projection of an A-6 Intruder
A-6 ordnance, 1962

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.

Side-view of the AIM-54C

AIM-54 Phoenix

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Side-view of the AIM-54C
Side-view of the AIM-54C
Side-view of the AIM-54C
An AIM-54A launched from the NA-3A-testbed in 1966
AIM-54 Phoenix seconds after launch (1991)
An AIM-54 hitting a QF-4B target drone, 1983.
An AIM-54 Phoenix being attached to an F-14 wing pylon before the forward fins were installed (2003).
Iranian F-14 Tomcats armed with multiple missiles, including AIM-54 Phoenix, 1986.
An AIM-54A "Phoenix" missile on display at Grumman Memorial Park in New York State
Map with AIM-54 Phoenix operators in blue with former operators in red
A technical drawing of AIM-54C

The AIM-54 Phoenix is an American radar-guided, long-range air-to-air missile (AAM), carried in clusters of up to six missiles on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, its only operational launch platform.

Top-left to bottom-right: Iranian child soldier on the frontlines Iranian soldier in a trench wearing a gas mask to guard against Iraqi chemical attacks Port quarter view of the USS Stark listing to port after being mistakenly struck by an Iraqi warplane Pro-Iraq MEK forces killed during Iran's Operation Mersad Iraqi prisoners of war after the recapture of Khorramshahr by Iranian forces ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun being used by the Iranian Army

Iran–Iraq War

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Protracted armed conflict that began on 22 September 1980 with a full-scale invasion of Iran by neighbouring Iraq.

Protracted armed conflict that began on 22 September 1980 with a full-scale invasion of Iran by neighbouring Iraq.

Top-left to bottom-right: Iranian child soldier on the frontlines Iranian soldier in a trench wearing a gas mask to guard against Iraqi chemical attacks Port quarter view of the USS Stark listing to port after being mistakenly struck by an Iraqi warplane Pro-Iraq MEK forces killed during Iran's Operation Mersad Iraqi prisoners of war after the recapture of Khorramshahr by Iranian forces ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun being used by the Iranian Army
Meeting of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Houari Boumédiène and Saddam Hussein (left to right) during the Algiers Agreement in 1975.
Ruhollah Khomeini rose to power after the Iranian Revolution.
Location of Khuzestan Province in Iran which Iraq planned to annex
Iranian President Abolhassan Banisadr, who was also commander-in-chief, on a Jeep-mounted 106mm recoilless anti-tank gun. Banisadr was impeached in June 1981.
The Shatt al-Arab on the Iran–Iraq border
Destroyed Iranian C-47 Skytrain
Iranian F-14A Tomcats equipped with AIM-54A, AIM-7 and AIM-9 missiles.
Resistance of the outnumbered and outgunned Iranians in Khorramshahr slowed the Iraqis for a month.
Iranian president Abulhassan Banisadr on the battlefront
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and Massoud Rajavi, the leader of MEK and the National Resistance Council of Iran (NCRI) in 1988.
The surprise attack on H-3 airbase is considered to be one of the most sophisticated air operations of the war.
Iranian soldier holding an IV bag during the Iran–Iraq War
Iranian Northrop F-5 aircraft during Iran-Iraq war
Iraqi T-62 tank wreckage in Khuzestan Province, Iran
Iraqi soldiers surrendering after the Liberation of Khorramshahr
Saddam Hussein in 1982
An admonitory declaration issued from the Iraqi government in order to warn Iranian troops in the Iran–Iraq War. The statement says: "Hey Iranians! No one has been downtrodden in the country where Ali ibn Abi Ṭālib, Husayn ibn Ali and Abbas ibn Ali are buried. Iraq has undoubtedly been an honorable country. All refugees are precious. Anyone who wants to live in exile can choose Iraq freely. We, the Sons of Iraq, have been ambushing foreign aggressors. The enemies who plan to assault Iraq will be disfavoured by God in this world and the hereafter. Be careful of attacking Iraq and Ali ibn Abi Ṭālib! If you surrender, you might be in peace."
95,000 Iranian child soldiers were made casualties during the Iran–Iraq War, mostly between the ages of 16 and 17, with a few younger.
Furthest ground gains
Iranian POWs in 1983 near Tikrit, Iraq
Iranian child soldier
Iraqi POW who was shot by Iranian troops after they conquered the Iraqi Majnoon oil field in October 1984
Iranian troops fire 152 mm D-20 howitzer
Battle of the Marshes Iran front 1983 rest after exchange of fire 152 mm D-20 H
Operation Earnest Will: Tanker convoy No. 12 under US Navy escort (21 October 1987)
A map indicating the attacks on civilian areas of Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait targeted during the "War of the Cities".
Iraqi commanders discussing strategy on the battlefront (1986)
Iranian President Ali Khamenei on the battlefront during the Iran–Iraq War
Operation Dawn 8 during which Iran captured the Faw Peninsula.
Iranian soldier killed during the Iran–Iraq War with Rouhollah Khomeini's photo on his uniform
The People's Mujahedin of Iran, supported by Saddam, started a ten-day operation after both the Iranian and Iraqi governments accepted UN Resolution 598. Casualty estimates range from 2,000 to 10,000.
Adnan Khairallah, Iraqi Defense Minister, meeting with Iraqi soldiers during the war
IRGC navy speedboats using swarm tactics
An Iranian soldier wearing a gas mask during the Iran–Iraq War.
The Iranian frigate IS Sahand burns after being hit by 20 U.S. air launched missiles and bombs, killing a third of the crew, April 1988
Iranian soldiers captured during Iraq's 1988 offensives
USS Vincennes in 1987 a year before it shot down Iran Air Flight 655
MEK Soldiers killed in Operation Mersad in 1988
Al-Shaheed Monument in Baghdad was erected to commemorate the fallen Iraqi soldiers during the war.
Iranian Martyr Cemetery in Isfahan
Iranian Martyrs Museum in Tehran
An Iranian soldier's funeral in Mashhad, 2013
An Iraqi Mil Mi-24 on display at the military museum of Sa'dabad Palace in Iran
President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush work in the Oval Office of the White House, 20 July 1984.
USS Stark (FFG-31) listing following two hits by Exocet missiles.
Victims of the 1987 chemical attack on Sardasht, West Azerbaijan, Iran
Damage to a mosque in Khoramshahr, Iran, the city that was invaded by Iraq in September 1980

Meanwhile, Iraqi air attacks on Iran were repelled by Iran's F-14A Tomcat interceptor fighter jets, using AIM-54A Phoenix missiles, which downed a dozen of Iraq's Soviet-built fighters in the first two days of battle.

Air-to-air refueling mission over the North Sea

General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark

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Retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft.

Retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft.

Air-to-air refueling mission over the North Sea
Air-to-air refueling mission over the North Sea
The side-by-side seating adopted in the F-111
Four-photo series showing the F-111A wing sweep sequence
F-111 cockpit before a night flight
F-111 external payload of Matra Durandal concrete penetration bombs
Combat Lancer F-111As over Southeast Asia in 1968
Ground crew prepares an F-111F of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing for a retaliatory air strike on Libya.
Four Australian F-111s flying towards Nellis Air Force Base after a refueling exercise during Exercise Red Flag 2006.
An F-111A drops 24 Mark 82 low-drag bombs in-flight over a bombing range.
A US Navy F-111B approaching the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CV-43) during trials in 1968
A Royal Australian Air Force F-111C performing a dump-and-burn, a procedure where the fuel is intentionally ignited using the aircraft's afterburner
Electronically Agile Radar (PESA, precursor of the AN/APQ-164 for B-1 Lancer), specifically designed for the FB-111
An overhead view of two FB-111s in formation
Artist concept of a lengthened FB-111
An F-111 operated by NASA
An F-111 escape capsule on display as a cockpit simulator
F-111 escape capsule at Museum of Moscow Aviation Institute
F-111E on display at the Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB
FB-111A at the Barksdale Global Power Museum
An orthographically projected diagram of the F-111

The U.S. Navy's role intended for the F-111B was instead filled by another variable-geometry design, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.

A TF30 in the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, Titusville, Florida

Pratt & Whitney TF30

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Military low-bypass turbofan engine originally designed by Pratt & Whitney for the subsonic F6D Missileer fleet defense fighter, but this project was cancelled.

Military low-bypass turbofan engine originally designed by Pratt & Whitney for the subsonic F6D Missileer fleet defense fighter, but this project was cancelled.

A TF30 in the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, Titusville, Florida
A TF30 in the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, Titusville, Florida
A TF30-P-109 from an RAAF F-111 at Defence Force Air Show RAAF Amberley, October 2008
A TF30-P-412A being prepared for installation in an F-14A Tomcat on board a carrier
Pratt & Whitney/SNECMA TF106
Pratt & Whitney/SNECMA TF306
Combustion chamber and turbine.
High pressure compressor.
Compressor.
Low pressure compressor and fan.
Cut out of a TF30-P-6

It was later adapted with an afterburner for supersonic designs, and in this form it was the world's first production afterburning turbofan, going on to power the F-111 and the F-14A Tomcat, as well as being used in early versions of the A-7 Corsair II without an afterburner.

F-111B, BuNo 151974, approaching USS Coral Sea (CV-43) in July 1968.

General Dynamics–Grumman F-111B

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Long-range carrier-based interceptor aircraft that was planned to be a follow-on to the F-4 Phantom II for the United States Navy .

Long-range carrier-based interceptor aircraft that was planned to be a follow-on to the F-4 Phantom II for the United States Navy .

F-111B, BuNo 151974, approaching USS Coral Sea (CV-43) in July 1968.
F-111B, BuNo 151970 in flight over Long Island, New York in 1965
F-111Bs, BuNo 151970 and 151971, over Long Island during testing
The F-14 that Grumman proposed as a replacement for the F-111B, was designed around the same engine/radar/missile combination.
F-111B, BuNo 151974, being launched from USS Coral Sea in July 1968. It was the only F-111B to perform carrier operational trials.
F-111B, BuNo 151974, on USS Coral Sea in July 1968. It crash-landed at NAS Point Mugu, California on 11 October 1968 and was subsequently scrapped.
400px
F-111B, BuNo 151974, at NAS Moffett Field, California during full-scale wind tunnel flight control tests
The first pre-production F-111B 152714 in storage at Davis Monthan AFB in 1971

The F-111B would be replaced by the smaller and lighter Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which carried over the engines, AWG-9/Phoenix weapons system, and similar swing-wing configuration.