Super Tomcat 21: The successor to the F-14 fighter that could change everything

The evolution of the F-14 Tomcat multirole family could lead to a supersonic strike fighter that could possess nuclear potential and bomb bays. However, the US Navy opted for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Super Tomcat 21 was an ambitious project to transform the legendary Grumman F-14 Tomcat into a more modern multirole fighter for the US Navy.

Focus translated an article by American journalist Peter Suchiu about a unique American project to create a multipurpose fighter.

• Based on the F-14D model, the Super Tomcat 21 was to receive such improvements as increased fuel capacity, an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, and the ability to reach a speed of Mach 1.3 without afterburn. Additional features included upgraded avionics, increased aircraft control surfaces, and advanced weapon systems.
• Despite its potential for superior performance and versatility, the project was eventually shelved in favor of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, making the Super Tomcat 21 a fascinating curiosity in aviation history.

Super Tomcat 21: an improved version of the F-14 , which almost succeeded

When the movie “Top Gun” was released in 1986, its aviation theme was so popular that the Grumman F-14 Tomcat became as much a star of the movie as Tom Cruise. However, this wasn't exactly the F-14's debut on the big screen: a pair of F-14s had already appeared in the 1980 sci-fi war film The Final Countdown. Four more F-14s from the 84th Fighter Squadron (VF-84), nicknamed “Jolly Roger”, also appeared in the 1996 action-adventure film Ordered to Destroy.

The supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-keeled, variable-sweep wing fighter was developed for the US Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program and was the first of America's Teen Series combat aircraft, based on experience with MiG fighters during the Vietnam War.< /p>

The F-14 went through several upgrades, and its final version was the F-14D Super Tomcat. The first of them was delivered in 1991, and significant changes were made to its avionics and displays. The F-14D distinguished itself by being able to engage multiple targets with greater ease than its predecessors. This aircraft was supposed to be the definitive version of the Tomcat, and perhaps it would have been. But in 1989, after huge budget overruns and production delays, then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney became the sworn enemy of this plane — worse than Soviet fighter pilots. He refused to buy new F-14Ds, which made perfect sense at the time as the Cold War was coming to an end.

Instead, the Navy received only 37 new F-14D Super Tomcats, and 18 older F-14As were upgraded to D models and designated F-14D(R).

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

Strike Super Tomcat 21

If things had turned out differently, an even more advanced version of the Super Tomcat could have taken to the skies. Described as an “evolutionary” upgrade to the F-14, the ST21 (Super Tomcat for the 21st Century) would be able to carry more fuel and even get the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar developed for the canceled A-12 attack aircraft.

Essentially, the ST21 grew out of an earlier proposal made by Northrup Grumman after the A-12 program was terminated. It was to be called Tomcat Quick Strike and involved upgrading existing F-14s by equipping them with high-tech navigation and targeting pods similar to the US Air Force's LANTIRN system, as well as upgraded ground attack modes for the F-14D's APG-71 radar. The improved aircraft could carry more powerful weapons, including the AGM-84E SLAM and AGM-88 HARM.

According to Jalopnik.com, when that project never materialized, Northrup Grumman returned to the Navy with another Super Tomcat , which was named Super Tomcat 21.

“The Super Tomcat 21 was supposed to be a modification of the original F-14 project and be equipped with GE-F110-129 engines, which would allow the Tomcat to go supersonic (achieve a speed of Mach 1+ without the use of afterburners) at a speed of Mach 1.3. In addition, the aircraft was to receive an upgraded APG-71 radar, modified and enlarged control surfaces, as well as enlarged wing root flaps (LERX), which would accommodate more fuel and improve the aircraft's controllability at low speeds,” — reports Jalopnik.com.

These modifications were supposed to give the Tomcat true ultra-maneuverability, sustained speed and sharp acceleration. Like the Tomcat Quick Strike, the new ST21 could carry target designators and navigation pods, giving it the capabilities of a true multirole fighter.

The aircraft was to be equipped with a one-piece windshield to improve visibility, a wide-angle raster HUD capable of projecting FLIR images, and Digital Flight Control System (DFCS).

Future Improvements

The ST21 was proposed as a cheaper alternative to the Navy's Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), but it could be something more. It would likely lead to a number of even more advanced Tomcats, including the Super Tomcat (AST21) strike, which could have a nuclear capability and bomb bays under the nacelles of the engines.

“The final configuration of the Tomcat, known as the ASF-14, was a new, heavily upgraded version of the legendary F-14,” Jalopnik added. fuel compared to the Super Tomcat 21 thanks to thicker wings, the removal of bulky older-generation subsystems and the use of carbon-plastic structural components to save weight and volume.”

However, none of this happened. The Navy decided to replace the fighter/attack aircraft with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and on September 22, 2006, the F-14 Tomcat was finally retired. Super Tomcat 21 remains one of the most exciting unrealized projects.

About the author

Peter Suchiu — journalist from Michigan. During his twenty-year journalistic career, he participated in the work of more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites, publishing more than 3,200 materials. He writes regularly on military technology, firearms history, cyber security, politics and international affairs. Peter has also contributed articles to Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. Email the author at: Editor@nationalinterest.org.