Forums

Hi Dear subscribers,
As the US Navy has retired its undeniable powerful interceptor(tomcat) and replaced them with F-18s,
Can Iranian Tomcats overcome hornets in an unforeseen air engagements and get air superiority ?
Because I think that the Tomcats are much more powerful than the F-18s, their radar and missiles can easily defeat hornets!!

Mike,

If it happens, it will be a great air combat. US Navy has one of the top fighters, the F/A-18E Super Hornet. They also have missiles like the AIM-9X with HMD and the last version of the AIM-120. In the other side, iranians have the F-14 Tomcat, an old guy, but even if not modernizated by russians as some sites of Iran say, the Tomcat is dangerous.

But the most dangerous thing in the Tomcat is the missile AIM-54 Phoenix. This is the problem; not to US Navy fighters, but to iranians. The AIM-54 Phoenix has been removed from servise in US and for sure every carrier of the US Navy and it's fighter squadrons have the eletronical jamming and code source to disarm the missile when this will be fired against US fighters. So, the problem is iranian and not american.

I have no doubt that iranians Tomcats will use the AIM-54 Phoenix against US fighters, but if the russians did not change the code source of the missile, they will be in a big trouble...
LOOK THIS! BRAZILIAN MILITARY AVIATION - Photo Album made by me on AIRLINERS.NET!!
More than 40.000 views!! Take a look into the biggest military power in the south hemisphere!! BRAZIL!!

Iranian Tomcats would never stand a chance against a Super Hornet.

a couple things Iran has run out of the phoenix missiles, they have reached the end of their useful lives the only ones they still use are a few training rounds that are inert no propulsion and no warhead. second, they are struggling to maintain their fleet with the lack of parts, Also the iranian tomcats are older than anything on a us carrier deck. also Iran's f-14 are equipped with the troublesome tf30 engines. The US has many advantages for one super hornet pilots transitioned from the tomcat and the legacy hornet pilots trained with it. the us pilots also have the advantages of more training (topgun, fighter weapon schools).

Also, just read a book about the iranian cats and they said the russians did not come close to the f-5 tigers let alone the f-14 so the russians did not come close to modifying the tomcats.

winner: US I'm Just Here For The Food...

Let's also not forget the role training plays in any skill. U.S. pilots are arguably the best in the world. No matter how capable or advanced the airplane, if the pilot doesn't know how to fly it, it doesn't do him/her any good. Vintage Airplane Videos and Warbirds DVD

Quote:


...correct...who said that American pilots are the best in the world ...sorry but for me it sound like non-sens ...
everyone from us here can say like that pilots from us countries are bes in the world...etc
Of course we can say that American pilots have one of the better training program and very god training level also with very good jets ...etc...but no one can say like that..people are ready think that somebody who's thinking like that is bloody ignorant...

Anyway...I am recognize that in real confrontation Iranian F-14 haven't got any big chances for fight with very modern F-18's in conflict because are very old fighters with old weapon systems and without modern electronics systems...also Iranian pilots have lower training level than American pilots and not enough skills and not that big fight experience like Americans...so I see this situation and eventual air conflict for Iranian Air Force in a black color Radetzky