How Iran manages to keep its F-14 Tomcats flying

As the last operator of Grumman’s fearsome F-14 Tomcat, Iran has faced near-constant challenges in keeping the backbone of its air defence capability operational. Babak Tagvhee investigates

Over the past five years the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), alongside many air arms worldwide, has had to negotiate a decline in its annual budget. A major impact of these cuts has been its ability to maintain the number of Grumman’s still-legendary F-14A Tomcats it has operationally available, not least because of the expense involved in doing so. It seems that Iran, which is now the sole operator of the fearsome fighter-interceptor, remains undeterred by these obstacles and the ‘Big Cats’ continue to lie at the heart of Iran’s air defence capability – but how does it manage to keep its Tomcats in service?

Persian ‘Big Cat’: The still to this day incredible lines of the F-14A Tomcat are evident in the view of 3-6067 (BuNo 160365) waiting for its crew while on strength with the 83rd TTS at Isfahan on April 16, 2017
Persian ‘Big Cat’: The still to this day incredible lines of the F-14A Tomcat are evident in the view of 3-6067 (BuNo 160365) waiting for its crew while on strength with the 83rd TTS at Isfahan on April 16, 2017 AirTeamImages-Shahram Sharifi

 

The

Become a Premium Member to Read More

This is a premium article and requires an active Key.Aero subscription to view.

I’m an existing member, sign me in!

I don’t have a subscription…

Enjoy the following subscriber only benefits:

  • Unlimited access to all KeyAero content
  • Exclusive in-depth articles and analysis, videos, quizzes added daily
  • A fully searchable archive – boasting hundreds of thousands of pieces of quality aviation content
  • Access to read all our leading aviation magazines online - meaning you can enjoy the likes of FlyPast, Aeroplane Monthly, AirForces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, Aviation News, Airports of the World, PC Pilot and Airliner World - as soon as they leave the editor’s desk.
  • Access on any device- anywhere, anytime
  • Choose from our offers below