DefenseIsrael destroys two Iranian F-14 fighter jets in Tehran
The Israeli Air Force (IDF) posted infrared images on social media on Monday showing the destruction of two Iranian F-14 Tomcat fighter jets.
The aircraft are seen close to being destroyed by a munition attack. The IDF said the two F-14s were in Tehran and could have been used to intercept Israeli aircraft.
But observers say the old fighter jets manufactured by Grumman (now Northrop Grumman) have been decommissioned for years and parked in the open at Mehrabad International Airport.
Indeed, satellite images show two F-14s in positions similar to those in the video. They are reported to have been used as a stockpile of parts for the few operational Tomcats of the IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force).
Iran was the only foreign country to receive the F-14, during the rule of Shah Reza Pahlavi, an ally of the United States.
The Islamic Revolution in 1979, however, made Iran an enemy of the United States, and the Tomcats became an asset of the IRIAF for a time, until a lack of technical support reduced the fleet to 79 fighters.
https://twitter.com/IAFsite/status/1934669345184973262
It is currently unclear how many of these twin-engine aircraft remain in active service, although estimates indicate a maximum of two dozen.
Iran became the world’s only operator of the F-14 after the US Navy deactivated the last squadrons deployed on its aircraft carriers in 2006.
The interceptor aircraft has variable-sweep wings and was primarily armed with the AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missile, which, in conjunction with the AWG-9 radar, could hit targets 165 km away.
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