The F-14 Tomcat! One Of The Most Capable Fighters In The Sky, Might Just Be Iran’s Best Fighter Jet

the Grumman F-14 Tomcat was considered one of the most capable fighters in the sky, and even today it remains a swift aircraft that has a top speed in excess of Mach 2.4 and a rate of climb of around 45,000 feet per minute. It was originally developed to operate from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and to serve in an air superiority role. The supersonic, twin-engine, variable-sweep wing, combat fighter could operate and attack and destroy enemy aircraft at night and in all weather conditions. The Tomcat was designed to track up to 24 targets simultaneously with its advanced weapons control systems and easily dominate the skies with its Phoenix AIM-54A missiles. the aircraft wasn’t provided to the Islamic Republic as part of the Reagan-era Iran-Contra deal but were actually provided to Iran prior to the outbreak of the Iranian Islamic Revolution that broke out in 1978. Until that point, Iran had been a steadfast ally of the United States – and was even the second Muslim-majority country after Turkey to recognize the State of Israel.