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The Grumman F-14 "Tomcat" was a large and heavy twin-engine jet fighter-interceptor, first of the "Teen" series of US jet fighters and the last "Cat" manufactured by Bethpage, New York-based Grumman "Iron Works" Aerospace Corporation. The swing-wing two-seater entered service with its main user, the United States Navy, in 1974 and was retired in 2006. However, Iran, the only country that the F-14 was exported to (prior to the 1979 revolution), still operates the type with local modification.
The F-14 is widely recognized in various forms of pop culture. It was prominently featured in the movie Top Gun, in a large number of air combat video games and flight simulators, and furthermore is the visual model on which the MACROSS VF-1 Valkyrie is loosely based.
The F-14 was armed with an M61 20mm cannon in the nose and carried TARPS and ROVER systems for reconnaissance. Air-to-air weapons included the long-range AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder. For ground attack missions a variety of freefall and precision guided munitions could be carried.
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