two-seat, twin-engine jet fighter built for the U.S. Navy by the Grumman Corporation (now part of the Northrop Grumman Corporation). As a successor to the F-4 Phantom II, it was designed in the 1960s with the aerodynamic and electronic capacities to defend aircraft-carrier operations at long ranges.
Deployment began in 1972, and production ended in 1992.
The F-14 is equipped with variable-geometry wings that adjust automatically for optimal performance at various speeds and altitudes. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney or General Electric turbofan engines, each generating 21,000 to 27,000 pounds of thrust with afterburning, it can surpass Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound) at high altitudes and Mach 1 at sea level. The radar-intercept officer, seated behind the pilot, monitors the weapons system, which can track up to 24 enemy aircraft as far away as 195 miles (314 km) while simultaneously guiding long-range missiles to six of them. Medium- and short-range missiles can also be carried under the inner wings and fuselage, as can bombs for attacking surface targets. A 20-millimetre rotary cannon is mounted in the fuselage for close-range dogfighting.
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