The first exposure of a Navy Tomcat to an SA-2 missile was over Somalia in April 1983 when a local battery was unaware of two Tomcats scheduled for a TARPS mission in a prelude to an upcoming international exercise in the vicinity of Berbera. VF-74 Be-Devilers (1985 USS Saratoga) F-14A model A beautifully carved 18 inch solid wood F-14 Tomcat with moveable swept wings of the VF-74 Be-Devilers! Around 25% of the structure is made of titanium, including the wing box, wing pivots, and upper and lower wing skins; [42] this is a light, rigid, and strong material. During their final deployment with Theodore Roosevelt, VF-31 and VF-213 collectively completed 1,163 combat sorties totaling 6,876 flight hours, and dropped 9,500 lb (4,300 kg) of ordnance during reconnaissance, surveillance, and close air support missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Known for its speed, clocking over Mach 2, and a service ceiling above 50,000 feet, the F-14 was a formidable presence in any airspace. S. deliver the 80th F-14 that it had purchased in 1974 but never received due to the Islamic Revolution. They outlined the idea of a Fleet Air Defense (FAD) aircraft with a more powerful radar and longer range missiles than the F-4 Phantom II to intercept both enemy bombers and missiles at very long range. The LANTIRN pod provided the F-14 with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera for night operations and a laser target designator to direct laser-guided bombs (LGB).Initially, the hand controller replaced the RIO's TARPS control panel, meaning a Tomcat configured for LANTIRN could not carry TARPS and the reverse, but eventually a workaround was later developed to allow a Tomcat to carry LANTIRN or TARPS as needed. Altman deployed twice on the USS Carl Vinson as an F-14 pilot of VF-51 from 1984 to 1987 and worked as a test pilot for F-14 test programs, including the first deployment of the F-14D variant in 1992, before being selected for the NASA astronaut program. During the height of Cold War operations in the late 1970s and 1980s, the typical weapon loadout on carrier-deployed F-14s was usually two AIM-54 Phoenixes, augmented by two AIM-9 Sidewinders, three AIM-7 Sparrows, a full loadout of 20 mm ammunition and two drop tanks. VF-103 Sluggers F-14a (1988) Model Relive flying one of the greatest Navy fighter jets in this carefully carved and painted F-14a model of the VF-103 Sluggers.

Additionally, an included pilot figure and the option to display the model on a provided stand, with landing gear in up or down positions, contribute to its realism and display versatility. S. Navy sought a long-range, high-endurance interceptor to defend its carrier battle groups against long-range anti-ship missiles launched from the jet bombers and submarines of the Soviet Union. It achieved this in the midst of a confrontation with an enemy that was constantly upgrading its capabilities and receiving support from three major countries – France, the US, and the USSR. The main element is the Hughes AN/AWG-9 X band radar; the antenna is a 36 in (91 cm)-wide planar array, and has integrated Identification friend or foe antennas.Although the F-14D was to be the definitive version of the Tomcat, not all fleet units received the D variant. The Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) notably improved the F-14's handling qualities when flying at a high angle of attack or in air combat maneuvering. Two more Tomcats were lost in unknown circumstances during the battle, and seven crashed due to technical failure or accidents. The Navy decided to retire the F-14 with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet filling the roles of fleet defense and strike formerly filled by the F-14.

In the 1990s, with the pending retirement of the Grumman A-6 Intruder, the F-14 air-to-ground program was resurrected. The participation of the F-14 in the 1991 Operation Desert Storm consisted of Combat Air Patrol (CAP) over the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf and overland missions consisting of strike escort and reconnaissance.

The first flight of the Grumman F-14A Tomcat was in 1970 and production started in 1974 and ended in 1992. VF-24 Fighting Renegades F-14a Tomcat (1994) model Relive flying with one of the greatest fighter squadrons — the VF-24 and the Fighting Renegades. VF-114 Aardvarks F-14a (1987) model Relive flying one of the greatest Navy fighter jets in this carefully carved and painted F-14a model of the VF-114 Aardvarks.