F-14A Tomcat

What is the U.S. Navy planning to replace the F-14A with?

There is not another single aircraft capable of carrying the AIM-54C Phoenix and there will never be a radar system quite like the AWG-9.

Is the U.S. Navy really expecting threats to close within medium distance?

I think they were planning on replacing it with the Bird of Prey to honest. I don't remember that or the Switchblade. The F-14 is getting old no doubt... but, I dunno what they're gonna do with it.

The F-35 or Joint Strike Fighter will replace the F-14 as I understand it. I don't know if it uses the Phoenix, but I do know that it DOES NOT use the AMRAAM (one of my favs) because it mounts everything in a weapons bay.

The F-14a was phased out of front line service in the early to mid 90s. The curent version is the F-14d. THey will be phased out within the next 6 years to be replaced with the F-18 E/F.

As for the phionex, it is no longer really required. The Tomcat was never intened to be a fighter. It should have been classifed as an interceptor. It was built for one goal only.Intercepting Soviet Bombers as far away from the carrier as possible. The Phionex was part of that strategy. In normal combat over the horizon kills are not possible. The missle oncefired can hit a friendly, so the rules of engaugement state the the pilots have to close and obtaina visual conformation before they can fire any weapon. A good book on the whole topic is "The Pentagon Paradox" I highly recommend it.

Just the two cents from an ex squid.

If it were the F/A-18E/F/2000's... they'd already be replaced.

The F-35/32 (which ever succeeds)... possibly... but, I still think the X-39 Bird of Prey... is going to take that spot.

Bird of Prey was just technology demonstrator for X-45.
F-14 will be replaced with F-18 E/F. JSF will be used for strike tasks but can also be used for AA. Plus navy plans to buy some UCAVs.

X-46 from Boeing



or X-47 from Northrop



[Edited on 3-5-2004 by longbow]

Shugo:I thought the Bird of Prey was nothing more then just a technology demonstrator. It's not going into production as far as I know. Assuming you're reffering to this aircraft.

And as for the F-35/32. The F-35 has already won.

Okay direct from tomcat country... the F/A-18 E/f will replace the Tomcat and older F/A-18A's by 2007. The JSF will use the AMRAAM but not the Sidewinder, look at intelgurls topic on the JSF

Technically the F-14A was replaced by the F-14B/D with the last F-14 squadron recently transitioning to the B version.

In terms of who is replacing the Tomcat, the answer is nothing. The Navy is moving away from a dedicated single role aircraft and moving to mulitrole, with the exception of the E-2C (for now).

The F/A-18E/F is going to take over the Fleet Defense role, but the longest range missile that it has is the AMRAAM.

Hope that answers the question for you.

But the good news is that the Navy will finally be replacing the EA-2 with the E/a-18g growler so we can finally have a jammer that can keep up with the newer planes.

Originally posted by roniii259
But the good news is that the Navy will finally be replacing the EA-2 with the E/a-18g growler so we can finally have a jammer that can keep up with the newer planes.

I think you are a little confused here. The E/A-18G will be replacing the EA-6B Prowler ICAP III aircraft.

The E-2 will be replaced by a dedicated AWACS version of the CSA (Common Support Aircraft).

oops pushed the wrong # meant ea-6

Actually, they still use the F-14A.

The F-14Bs and F-14Ds are just too expensive to acquire. It' mostly been F-14As.

Taking everything into consideration, what would the carrier air wing of 2010 look like? And how much better would it be than the air wins of the 1980s and 1990s and early 2000s?

the f-14a's are still in service, but i wouldnt want one with the crappy F-111 engines used I like teh f-110 much better

AHH the allmighty Su-47

SU-47 (S-37) BERKUT - SPECIFICATION
Air Vehicle
Dimensions
Length 22.60 m
Wingspan 16.70 m
Take-off weight 24,000 kg
Performance
Maximum speed 1.6 Mach
Maximum g-force higher than 9g quoted for Su-27
Construction
Airframe aluminium and titanium alloys
Composites 13 per cent by weight

talk about off topic, westart out with the f-14a and go to s-47

What was the point of that?

This is US Arsenal not Soviet.

We are talking about the F-14A Tomcat... not the Su-47.

sorry but its a cool plane.

That is absolutely no reason to go off topic about it. Take it to the Su-47 Thread or make one. Not here.

I thought the F-14D took over the F-14A though. But, any term... I still think if the Switchblade exists, which it probably doesn't it would take over the F-14. But, otherwise... I got nothing.