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Bombcat
Few aircraft of the Cold War era have attained such cult status and adoration among those that flew it, wanted to fly it or kept it flying as the mighty Grumman F-14 Tomcat.
The jet was the final fighter created by the Grumman Aircraft Corporation and it had a reputation for being a tenacious interceptor that proved its durability in combat.
With the thawing of the Cold War in the late 1980s, the Tomcat community was faced with a stark choice. Turn the aircraft into a multirole strike fighter platform, or retain the fighter mission only and face almost certain extinction.
In a mere five years, the F-14 transitioned from guarding against improbable Cold War scenarios to becoming the LANTIRN-equipped, self-escorting strike fighter of choice.
With its two-seat cockpit, substantial payload and superior speed, range and recovery capabilities compared to the F/A-18 Hornet, the F-14 transformed into the formidable “Bombcat.”
Tomcat units proficient in the strike fighter role
By 1995, the Tomcat units had become quite proficient in the strike fighter role, as RIO Cdr Tom “Tumor” Twomey explained in Tony Holmes’ book F-14 “Bombcat”: The US Navy’s Ultimate Precision Bomber:
‘Although we had not yet received the LANTIRN pod in the fleet, we could still employ LGBs by “buddy” lasing with F/A-18s that were equipped with the Nite Hawk FLIR pod. These missions were a big learning curve for us, but we honed our skills and became very effective when operating in a mixed section with an F/A-18. The F-14 could haul a lot of “iron” to the target, and that increased the effectiveness of our air wing.’
In 1996-97, the near simultaneous retirement of the A-6 and the supply of LANTIRN pods to operational units revolutionized the F-14’s capabilities in the precision strike role and drastically altered the way Tomcat crews were trained to perform bombing missions. According to LANTIRN pioneer Lt Cdr Dave “Hey Joe” Parsons:
‘As the Intruder community began to dissolve, the infusion of A-6 “refugees” into the Tomcat community in the mid 1990s brought considerable expertise to the air-to-ground mission. Among the early arrivals from the Intruder world was Cdr John Snedeker, who was a highly regarded A-6 B/N tactician who had flown combat missions in Desert Storm off Saratoga. He was selected as the first F-14 XO/CO from the Intruder community, joining VF-14 in April 1995 after completing his Tomcat transition training with VF-101. Prior to reporting to his new squadron, John, who was a neighbor of mine, mentioned to me that he was worried about his lack of knowledge in ACM. I told him that his knowledge of air-to-ground would put him in great stead with the Tomcat community. And it did!
Effect of the A-6 crews on the F-14community
‘FITWINGLANT [Fighter Wing, US Atlantic Fleet] subsequently took over the Medium Attack Weapons School Atlantic, which had been the precision-attack center of excellence during the A-6 era, folding it into SWATSLANT [. It was here that the subject matter expertise was nurtured and validated to ensure that each squadron was honed to carry out its assigned mission, with precision strike at the centerpiece. A succession of Tomcat RIOs took command of SWATSLANT during the 1990s to usherStrike Weapons and Tactics School, US Atlantic Fleet] in the air-to-ground capability and equally important FAC(A) mission.’
Cdr Twomey saw the effect the Intruder crews had on the Tomcat community at first hand while serving with VF-2 in 1995-96:
‘My squadron took in a few transitioned A-6 pilots and B/Ns, with the remaining aircrew going to other F-14 squadrons. Overall, the Intruder community was just decimated. Only a few lucky aircrews were offered transitions – pilots and B/Ns also went to other communities too. In fact, a lot of the pilots transitioned to the F/A-18. Many of the A-6 pilots and B/Ns that received orders to Tomcat units went to VF-101 Det Miramar, which was the dedicated F-14D training unit. Here, they studied the Category 2 syllabus designed for Naval Aviators and NFOs who already had a lot of flying experience. They learned the F-14D systems and flew a few training hops in the simulator, before getting into the jet for fights with VF-101 Det Miramar. The course lasted four to six months after which crews reported to their fleet squadrons.
A-6 crews improving F-14 squadrons effectiveness in the air-to-ground role
‘The F-14D was the last version of the Tomcat to take on the bombing mission, so the units equipped with the aircraft [VF-2, VF-11 and VF-31 in 1995-96] benefited the most from the arrival of former A-6 crews because the majority of the pilots and RIOs already in these squadrons had very little experience of dropping bombs due to their fighter-only backgrounds. The ex-Intruder pilots and B/Ns worked well with the neophyte Tomcat bomber aircrews teaching us the bombing business. We, in turn, taught them the fighter business, including ACM and the technical aspects of operating the jet’s AN/APG-71 radar in an electronic jamming environment.
‘Once the A-6 pilots and B/Ns got a few hundred hours in the F-14D under their belts they were just as effective as any Tomcat-only fleet pilot and RIO. Initially, former Intruder pilots were paired with experienced F-14 RIOs, while the B/Ns flew with veteran F-14 pilots. This sped up the learning process and provided an additional safety factor as both flight time and experience built up. The Intruder aircrew were quick learners, as pilots and B/Ns that had been posted to the A-6 RAG when the jet was still part of the frontline force were generally at the top of their classes upon graduation from flight school. Delivering ordnance on time in a hostile environment required both skill and talent.
‘The A-6 community had been very well respected in the air wing prior to its demise, and infusing “Bombcat” squadrons with this extensive experience greatly improved their mission effectiveness in the air-to-ground role.’
F-14 “Bombcat”: The US Navy’s Ultimate Precision Bomber is published by Key Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo credit: U.S. Navy
