One less F-14 to worry about.
 

So about 24 remanding that are fit to fly.

AMF

You say fit to fly, do you actually mean fit, or just able to fly? :hmmm:

Fly? Yes. Land? No...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUK-LPSouwE

...
correction

Fly? No....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QenR4MJZkP0

It still continues to puzzle me how (and more importantly, why) Iran continues to operate such a complex aircraft when they have no support from the manufacturer and have to bend over backwards for spare parts and upgrades, especially when I can't see what capability the F-14 offers them that they couldn't get from something more accessible and easily-maintainable :hmmm:

1st:
Big honking air to air missiles:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/640/f14skyhawk.png

2nd: It can hit Israel with only one mid air refueling while the Su-24 or F-4 needs 2-3.

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/7769/3366924883.jpg

edit: 3rd: The only "new" jets they've gotten "lately" were some MiG-29s and those are not in the most awe inspiring condition.
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/2...6311689804.jpg

Its possible that if the Iranians get more accurate IRBMs and more SLCMs they might phase the F-14 out of service but I doubt it; I think they will run them in to the ground before getting rid of them.

Well then, looks like they're doing a pretty good job of that then :O:

20-something F-14s against the IDF also seems like a pretty difficult proposition. I really can't see that going very far.
What sort of big honking AAMs do they have on those, anyway? Do they seriously still have any working AIM-54s anymore (and that's assuming they ever actually worked)?

:shifty: You not going to believe this...

Its a HAWK SAM... :har:

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/9...d1315e6417.jpg

Other than those the Iranians have maybe 50 or so AIM-54s, and apparently Iran's AIM-54s laid down the pain on the Iraqi Air Force, the Iranians claim a 164-1 kill ratio with the Tomcat. (for whatever that is worth :haha: ) Something like 20-30 AIM-54 hits; incl. a 3fer on a flight of floggers (try saying that when your drunk!)

:o:o:o

Alright Iran, you win this one. Just when I thought their military couldn't get any weirder than their flying magical speedboats of doom, it does :doh:

What do they use for an AGM, a wire-guided torpedo with rocket boosters strapped to it? :88)

I got four words for you: Kamikaze Jet Ski Boat:

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/1...tskiboat01.jpg
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2856/jetskiboat03.jpg


The phrase "Cluster Missile" comes to mind... :hmmm:

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/2...g0445257e0.jpg

The words cluster "something else" come to mind :O:

It's like a JP233 with wings :o

That's exactly what I thought when I saw it :haha: Egads Iran, just give the F-14s to me and I'll look after them better than you can. Just, stop breaking them please or you'll have my other half to answer to, and none of your Hawk SAMAAM cut and shuts will protect you against that, believe me. :dead:

I should imagine the Iranian Air Force thanks their lucky stars when they can taxi those things to the runway, let alone having them take-off.

The top picture in the 5th post must be very old because American employees of various companies working on the Shahs new US supplied military equipment they managed to destroy all the systems that make the AIM-54 usable before they left Iran in 1979.They also sabotaged the ability of the Iranian AH-1s to fire TOW missiles.I think that they are lying about the success rate of the F-14s against Iraq.I have read in variuos places that they mainly used older F-4s in 1980-88 because the F-14s where basically unflyable for the most part and they did not want to risk losing the few that flew (very likely with little or no AIM-54 capability) due to no spare parts They also flew F-5Es alot as well.

With all the engine problems that the early model F-14s had I highly doubt any remaining Iranian F-14s are ultra paper tigers that are soaking wet.Of course supposedly some folks in the US have been busted trying to smuggle F-14 parts to Iran so who knows for sure.The AIM-54 would be much harder to keep in service after so many years I think after 30 years they would probably simply drop of the rack and fall if they do use them they must have found a way to re-manufacturer them.I also wonder how they manage to maintain all the ground support equipment needed to keep these planes going I worked with this myself in the USAF and this gear needs as much maintenance as an aircraft they cant get the spare parts for this gear from the US and the F-14s use it all so they must have come up with a way to produce their on own new support equipment no way a gas turbine generator made in 1978-79 at the most recent is going to last 30 years without serious overhaul at least and that is pushing it the oldest gas turbine generators I saw where built is 1987 and had received major overhaul in the mid 90s.Based on my experience in the USAF working on the flight line it is very clear that Iran has come up with effective ways to counter the effects of embargo on their US supplied equipment if that is the case one should not underestimate them all though I personally think that they do not even bother to use the AIM-54s anymore.

I'm planning to have Iranian F-14s in the game I'm working on, I wonder if I should make their engines randomly quit if you apply too much rudder... I don't think anyone would want to fly in them then playing the OPFOR side... :D