Alright, so if MiGs are faster and more maneuverable than our

[Guaranteed]

F-14's and such, why the hell are we using F-14's?

Or are we even using those anymore? But, in any case, why would we have allowed that to happen in the first place? What was the trade off?

[GAspnes]

1. the F-14 can handle 24 simultaneous targets

Tomcat has the best avionics and weapons mounts of any airborne platform. (Thank you, History Channel)

Tomcats can dogfight, but they don't have to. They kill by standoff, and haul ass *away* from any attack.

The F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-place fighter designed to attack and destroy enemy aircraft at night and in all weather conditions. The F-14 can track up to 24 targets simultaneously with its advanced weapons control system and attack six with Phoenix AIM-54A missiles while continuing to scan the airspace. Armament also includes a mix of other air intercept missiles, rockets and bombs.

The AWG-9 is a pulse-Doppler, multi-mode radar with a designed capability to track 24 targets at the same time while simultaneously devising and executing fire control solutions for 6 targets. Designed in the 1960's and one of the oldest air-to-air radar systems, the AWG-9 is still the most powerful and new software will increase its capabilities for the 21st century.

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-14.htm

From an engineering standpoint, the F-14 is the best fighter aircraft since the Spitfire.

[Guaranteed]

2. So they basically just shoot before they even really

engage anyone. Long-distance stuff.

Makes sense to me. :)

[GAspnes]

3. there are some interesting discussions about this

matchup on various boards (google "f-14 vs. MIG").

Apparently the Tomcat has been regularly updated over the years, although it is being phased out for the F-18 Hornet. Consensus on the pages I've read is that the Tomcat might lose a close-air combat with a MIG-31, if the Tomcat pilot is less well-trained (e.g. - American vs. Russian), but that it excels at standoff fighting and has taken many MIGs piloted by less well-trained (Iranian, Iraqi) pilots in CAC.

It's not like I enjoy military stuff, but the engineering is fascinating.

[SKKY]

4. Fire and forget...You kill them before they even know you're there...

[Guaranteed]

5. So, basically, Top Gun is just

bullshit? :)

I'm only asking because I'm watching it right now.

[SKKY]

7. Kinda, but those things are very hard to fly. We're only talking...

...about how to make things dead. You still need to control the thing.

[Guaranteed]

8. But, I mean, you'd really never see a dogfight in an F-14,

right?

[SKKY]

9. Probably not, no. But, a pilot buddy of mine has trained for that...

...so I guess the military thinks it plausable. He also told me that, while we have the best "Air Force" in the world, Israel has the best pilots.

[lazarus]

11. Top Gun is a Great Film

once you realise they're all gay. Every single one of them. The whole plot makes a lot more sense.

I had a gay buddy point that out to me one day, and watched it soon after. He was right.

[punpirate]

6. Actually, the best MiG is not as fast nor...

... particularly more maneuverable. It's mostly leftover Cold War rhetoric to convince us to support ever more defense spending.

Defectors have said that the best MiGs could attain Mach 3, but only for 20-30 seconds. Beyond that amount of time, the engines destroyed themselves. Mach 3 is possible for longer periods of time by F-14s. A Navy avionics guy told me he regularly had gone to Mach 3 in F-14 check rides when the plane was put into a shallow dive at full military power. He did say, however, that when they came back to the carrier, all the leading edges on the aircraft were smoking....

The simple truth is that between the F-14, F-15 and the F-16, the US has air superiority almost anywhere in the world, and will have for some time, even without the newest fighters coming on line.

More to the point, these planes have been almost exclusively used for offense, not defense. If they're better than anything they encounter offensively in the many small wars America feels compelled to start, what's the need for better (and much more expensive) replacements? After all, most fighters today are used for two roles--ground attack and light bombing. Speed and maneuverability are necessary attributes in dogfights, and an American fighter has not engaged in a real dogfight since the Vietnam war.

Cheers.

[fujiyama]

10. Which one is the F-22 Raptor supposed to replace?

Is it the F-14, F-16, or F-18?