In the Claws of the Tomcat

Více o knize

Equipped with well-balanced air wings, aircraft carriers have been central to the United States Navy's strategy since World War II, aimed at controlling vast airspace. From the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s, the USN's air wings were led by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, renowned as one of the best air superiority systems. Designed as a fast, maneuverable, and heavily armed fighter, the Tomcat became the ultimate long-range fleet defender, known for its complex systems and legendary status by the mid-1980s. The F-14s achieved their first aerial victories during freedom of navigation exercises off Libya in 1981, but their most significant combat occurred during Operations Earnest Will and Desert Storm from 1987 to 1991. Contrary to popular belief, USN F-14s engaged in numerous air combats against Iran, often at the limits of their AWG-9 radars and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, and sometimes at close range, resorting to guns. Despite challenges like weather and communication issues, as well as the discipline of their crews, they may have achieved at least one previously unrecognized aerial victory, while also suffering losses to enemy fighters.