Timeline F-14 Tomcat

The swing-wing fleet defence fighter built to protect US carriers with the long-range Phoenix missile. Made famous by Top Gun, retired by the US Navy in 2006 and still flown by Iran.

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F-14 Tomcat 13

1969 Grumman wins the VFX contract After the F-111B With the Navy's F-111B cancelled, Grumman wins the contract for a new fleet fighter — the future F-14.
1970 F-14 Tomcat first flight Grumman, Calverton, New York Grumman's variable-sweep fleet defence fighter flies for the first time. The prototype is lost in a crash nine days later, though both crew eject.
1973 Six Phoenix missiles at six targets AIM-54 test An F-14 fires six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles in quick succession at six separate drones — a test never repeated.
1974 Tomcat makes its first deployment USS Enterprise Squadrons VF-1 and VF-2 take the F-14 to sea aboard USS Enterprise, from where it covers the evacuation of Saigon in April 1975.
1975 Tomcats cover the evacuation of Saigon Operation Frequent Wind F-14s from USS Enterprise fly cover for the helicopter evacuation of Saigon, the type's first operational mission.
1976 Iran receives its first Tomcats The only export customer Iran takes delivery of 79 F-14As before the 1979 revolution. It is the only export customer, and still flies a small number today.
1980 – 1988 Iranian Tomcats in the Iran–Iraq War The F-14's biggest war Iran's F-14s fight throughout the eight-year war against Iraq, by most accounts scoring more kills than any other type in the conflict.
1981 Gulf of Sidra incident First Tomcat kills Two F-14s from USS Nimitz shoot down two Libyan Su-22s that fired on them over the Gulf of Sidra — the Tomcat's first air-to-air victories.
1985 Achille Lauro hijackers intercepted EgyptAir 2843 F-14s from USS Saratoga force the airliner carrying the Achille Lauro hijackers to land at Sigonella in Sicily.
1986 Top Gun premieres Tom Cruise as Maverick Tony Scott's Top Gun, filmed with real US Navy F-14s, becomes the highest-grossing film of 1986 and a recruiting boost for naval aviation.
1989 Second Gulf of Sidra incident Two MiG-23s downed Two F-14s from USS John F. Kennedy shoot down two Libyan MiG-23s over the Mediterranean.
2006 US Navy retires the Tomcat Final flight, NAS Oceana The Tomcat makes its final US Navy flight. Replaced by the Super Hornet, most retired airframes are shredded to keep spare parts from reaching Iran.
2022 Top Gun: Maverick The Tomcat returns The sequel becomes Tom Cruise's highest-grossing film, with an F-14 flying a key role in its climax.