In the mid-1970s the Shah, intent on modernizing his country’s air force, placed a $2 billion order for 80 F-14s, along with hundreds of Phoenix missiles. It was rescued by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi-the Shah of Iran-who at the time was an important American ally. When all else failed, the pilot could rely on the built-in M61 Vulcan rotary cannon, a Gatling-style machine gun that fired 100 rounds per second.ĭespite these lethal capabilities, the development of the F-14 was plagued by cost overruns, and at one point Congress considered canceling it. For closer engagements, the plane used midrange Sparrows and short-range Sidewinders, the latter of which used heat-seeking technology to home in on enemy engines. It could fire up to six long-range, 1,000-pound Phoenix missiles at once. (That’s the info Maverick wanted when he yelled, “Talk to me, Goose,” in Top Gun.) Once targets were located, the F-14 was comfortable engaging from a range of distances. Behind the pilot sat the radar intercept officer, who monitored a terminal that could track up to 24 targets at once, and who provided the pilot with regular updates on the evolving state of the airspace. The F-14’s expansive bubble canopy provided excellent visibility, and its cockpit seated two. With its wings swept back to reduce pressure and drag, the F-14 could reach speeds above Mach 2. As the plane accelerated, the wings could be rotated over 40 degrees aft. At subsonic speeds, the jet maintained a classic straight-wing profile, providing impressive maneuverability. Grumman’s “swing wing” F-14 design, which entered service in 1972, was the answer. Navy was looking for a plane that was fast enough to intercept the enemy, nimble enough to win in a dogfight, and light enough to land on an aircraft carrier. The story of the F-14 begins in the 1960s. And that second, hidden battle-a shadow war fought among smugglers, arms dealers, spies, and customs agents-continued for years. But even as this secret war wound down, another, quieter front had already opened: the battle to keep the Iranian F-14 in the air. Nor was the Ayatollah especially eager to promote the members of his Westernized Air Corps, who’d been trained by American military instructors. Navy was not going to waste any breath touting the accomplishments of the enemy. While Grumman was probably delighted by the performance of its signature fighter jet, the U.S. The story of the Shah’s pilots remains largely hidden. The real life Maverick, Iran’s Jalil Zandi was one of the most accomplished pilots to ever fly the F-14. He was an exceptionally brave pilot and a consummate patriot, but there’s a reason you’ve never heard of him: Jalil Zandi wasn’t an American. Those two hits on the Iraqi Mirages brought the total number of planes he shot down-called kills-to eight, plus another three probables, making Zandi the top air ace ever to fly the Tomcat. Two years earlier, Hollywood and Tom Cruise had elevated the F-14 and the Top Gun program to widespread fame. His F-14 crippled, Zandi was forced to disengage, and later eject. Zandi scored two hits with his close-range Sidewinder missiles before his plane was hit by returning fire. On that morning in 1988 over Khark, the Mirages stayed to fight. Still, eight Mirage fighters was pushing it. It was common for F-14 pilots to engage three or four Iraqi pilots at once, and the technologically outmatched Iraqis often fled. Throughout the 1980s, F-14 pilots had menaced Saddam’s air force, shooting down more than 100 of its jets. In closer engagements, its superb maneuvering gave it the edge. With its sophisticated radar system and Phoenix guided missiles, the F-14 could bring down a target from 100 miles away. Produced by Grumman Aerospace, the plane had proved, across hundreds of combat engagements, to be an exceptionally lethal aircraft. The F-14, known as the Tomcat, was a marvel of American aircraft engineering. As Zandi approached the battle, no fewer than eight French-made Mirage fighters came to meet him. Jalil Zandi, one of the most fearsome pilots ever to fly the F-14 plane. Ahead, the battle raged, as Saddam’s bombers targeted tankers filled with petroleum leaving the island’s port. T he F-14 ripped across the sky toward the oil fields of Khark.
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