The F-14 Tomcat, a symbol of American air superiority during the Cold War, has found an enduring legacy in both cinema and, surprisingly, in the skies of Iran.

Celebrated for its versatility and durability, the jet became a cultural icon with its starring role in the 1986 blockbuster “Top Gun” and its recent sequel. Despite being replaced by the F/A-18 Hornet and other modern aircraft in the U.S. arsenal, the F-14 remains an operational asset in the Iranian Air Force.

The F-14 was designed based on lessons learned from combat against MiG fighters during the Vietnam War.

As the first of the “Teen Series” fighters, it debuted in 1970 and by 1974, it was deployed aboard the USS Enterprise, replacing the F-4 Phantom II.

In taking over from the Phantom, the F-14 became the Navy’s versatile workhorse, capable of performing a wide range of mission profiles: air superiority, fleet defense, interception, aerial reconnaissance, and later, ground attack.

The F-14 Tomcat, known for its versatility and durability, served for over three decades. However, it often played second fiddle to its successors—the F/A-18 Hornet and the U.S. Air Force’s F-15 Eagle.

Consequently, the F-14’s operational history does not fully reflect its capabilities or the length of its service. Most of its combat experience during the 1980s came against Iraq, and notably, not with American operators.

In the 1970s, before the Iranian Revolution, Iran and the United States were allies under the rule of the Shah.

The U.S., aiming to strengthen Iran’s military, exported F-14s to Iran, making it the sole foreign customer of this warplane.

During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Iran relied heavily on the Tomcat.

Researcher Tom Cooper notes that Iranian F-14s achieved 50 air-to-air victories in the first six months of the conflict, besting Iraqi MiG-21s, MiG-23s, and Su-20s, with only one F-14 lost. This success demonstrated the designers’ goal of creating a MiG-killer.

Iran’s and the F-14’s performance is especially remarkable given the lack of proper support from AWACS, AEW, or Ground Control, and the fact that Iraq received support and equipment from the Soviet Union, France, and the U.S., which had turned against Iran.

Estimates suggest Iran lost only around a dozen F-14s during the eight-year war, contrary to Iraq’s exaggerated claims of over 70 Tomcat shootdowns.

One standout Iranian pilot, Jalil Zandi, epitomizes the success of the Iranian Air Force.

Credited with shooting down 11 Iraqi aircraft, Zandi, rather than an American pilot, holds the title of the highest-scoring F-14 pilot ever.

Relevant articles:
– F-14 Tomcat: Top Gun Movie Legend and Somehow Iran’s Best Fighter, The National Interest
– F-14 Tomcat: Iran’s best fighter jet used to be America’s Top Gun, Sandboxx
– Top Gun Days: a book reveals how the best F-14 Tomcat air-to-air scenes were filmed, The Aviationist
– What To Know About Iran’s Legendary F-14 Tomcats & Their Usage Today, Simple Flying