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

Mike,
i'm an iranian, currently living in the us. I know people in the IRIAF(Islamic Republic of Iran AF). their Tomcats are old and in the first few hours of intense fighting many will either fall apart or be grounded by the crew. But iran is currently revervse engineering f-5 phantoms to be faster and larger than original. and they are building s*** loads of these. they will use their own radars which i don't have much faith in, but they will incorporate russian, and latest chinese avionics and missels. that's were I think iran could be a potential disaster for us. but even that would only be a problem in the beginning. My biggest worry for the usa is that russia will probably supply iran secretly aircrafts and anti-aircraft weapons of the latest forms.

Quote:



Thats a big negative, with Iranian crews and sub standard parts etc they would nevr get close. The Super H would prevail over all.

Take a F-14D and an USN crew, maybe the odds would change a great deal.

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.


Office Chairs

I think that F-14 will not fight against F-18, cause the iranian uses like an mini awacs. the F-14 has a big radar a can guide other squadrons with F-5, F-4, Su-24, J-7, Mig-29; F-14 would be like a pivot in the iranian basketball team.
I did read in some part of intenet that J-7 will use like a high speed kamikaze anticarrier. The only CAP mission may be MiG-29 or F-4 or F-5.

Radetzky US pilots do have the best training because their service has tons of money. Money buys flight time end of story. US pilots spend twice as much time flying than any other military pilots in the world. You seem to have a chip on your shoulder that is getting in the way of sensible thinking

Edwin Josephs Russia has ALREADY supplied Iran with the latest air defence weapons, they did it starting in 2003. Iran now has an air defence missile system that is a full generation ahead of anything in the US arsenal. USA dropped the ball on air defence during the 90's after the collapse of the soviet union. The Iranian system is claimed to be able to defeat all current stealth technology and ECM (according to the Russians)

Here is your answer in a very funny story

"US Marine F/A-18 talks to Iranian radar station

In addition to communicating with the local Air Traffic Control facility, all aircraft in the Persian Gulf AOR are required to give the Iranian Air Defense Radar (military) a ten minute “heads up” if they will be transiting Iranian airspace.

This conversation was recorded on the VHF Guard (emergency) frequency 121.5 MHz, while flying

from Europe to Dubai ..


Iranian Air Defense Radar: 'Unknown aircraft at (location unknown), you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself.'

Aircraft: 'This is a United States aircraft. I am not in Iranian airspace, I am in Iraqi airspace.'

Iranian Air Defense Radar: 'You are in Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch interceptor aircraft!'

Aircraft: 'This is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter. Send 'em up, I'll wait!'

Iranian Air Defense Radar: (no response .... total silence)"

jajajaja!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Quote:




Funny story santiago but do you have a source? :-)

Juajajaja LOL!!!!!!!!!! No Snake is just a Famous Joke!!!

I think any opponent a pilot meets is a serious threat.
But I guess Iran is a bit too dangerous opponent for USA and next time the victim for US-marshalling will be some poor nation somewhere else than Iran is

hi friends
just for iriaf tomcat lovers and surprise for iran enemys
new pics from iriaf f-14 loaded with aim-54 phoenix and hawk missile(sejjil project)

Quote:




i think we have a more reliable missile in the form of the AIM-120 AMRAAM. plus from what ive heard, the AIM-120A isnt that reliable against maneuvering and low observable aircraft.

During testing, out of the 6 targets *3 QT-33s and 3 remote controlled drones* the phoenix only hit 3 out of the 6 targets. *2 QT-33s and one drone* Half the time, it was from the phoenix failing to track after it switched from semi active to active. It also had trouble tracking a target in full ACM due to its top attack trajectory that was designed to take out bombers and cruise misiles....you know. something that isnt going to change its flight path that much or wasnt going to be turning as tight as ohh lets say, a fighter plane.

now, if your going to bring up the KDRs from the iran iraq war where you all used the phoenix missile.....was it the fact that they might have been flying into the missiles without knowing they were coming *from lack of a decent RWR or for the fact that ive heard reports that they just ignored it half the time* Ive heard about what happened in the last days of the gulf war were supposesly a whole flight of Mig-23s where downed by eagles using sparrows. Then seemed to just continue flying without knowing what they were going shot by or where its coming from.

the iraqi's just werent trained for such a thing, all of theyre planes were set up and bought for close ranged attacks and GCI. I highly doubt that the phoenix would be viable with the newest set of countermeasures out there being used on most fighters.

ps, that second pic is a pic of a HAWK thats painted like a phoenix. good trick, but its not the real deal