F-14D Super Tomcat

The F-14D Super Tomcat is an advanced swing wing fighter aircraft featured in numerous Ace Combat games, starting with Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.

Strangereal
In the Strangereal world, the F-14D was a carrier-launched aircraft operated by several nations because of its speed and combat capabilities, particularly for its ability to engage multiple enemy fighters at once. It operated along with the traditional F-14A and its rarer ground attack variant, the F-14B Bombcat.

The F-14D was used by both Belka and Osea during the Belkan War as an interceptor aircraft. The Schnee Squadron became famous for their use of the F-14D, and one such aircraft was manned by Jack Bartlett in his days as a rookie in the Osean Air Defense Force. Super Tomcats were also acquired by A World With No Boundaries, and a Yuktobanian member piloted one during the Allied Forces' siege of Avalon Dam.

The F-14D was also used on the Usean Continent, especially during the Usean Continental War. It was known for being the aircraft of choice of the Lancer Squadron, and it was also available to Scarface Squadron during their assistance of the Usean Allied Forces.

The F-14D was also fielded by the armed forces of Aurelia, Leasath, Emmeria and Estovakia on account of its dogfighting power, being deployed in considerable numbers during the Leasath-Aurelia War and Emmeria-Estovakia War.

Assault Horizon universe
Within the Assault Horizon universe, the F-14D was still used, albeit sparingly, by the United States Navy. It first became available to Warwolf Squadron during the Blatnoi conflict following Warwolf's departure from Africa to defend Dubai from Blatnoi threats related to Trinity.

Infinity universe
Thanks to Advanced Automated Aviation technology within the Infinity universe, the F-14D never fell out of service. Mercenary groups continued to develop the Super Tomcat for personal use, including among those allied with the United Nations Forces during Operation Eternal Liberation.

Game Analysis
Assault Horizon Legacy====Assault Horizon Legacy=== "A swing wing fighter with improved radar and weapon control systems, this plane can handle multiple enemies at once."

- Hangar


 * How to Unlock
 * Complete Opera House


 * Statistics


 * Special Weapons
 * LRAA
 * QAAM
 * XSAA


 * Colors
 * Color 1: Grey drab.
 * Color 2: Grey/blue/green camouflage.
 * Color 3: Wardog Squadron livery.
 * Color 4: Color 2 camouflage with light blue/navy blue/gray colors.
 * Color 5: Color 3 Wardog Squadron livery with white and black colors. White and black colors are customizable.
 * Color 6: Color 2 camouflage with light blue/yellow/dark green colors. Yellow and dark green colors are customizable.


 * Aces
 * Tallman
 * Lancer Squadron

Assault Horizon====Assault Horizon=== "A large, variable wing, carrier-based fighter that symbolizes aircraft carrier transported planes. It combines stability with maneuverability regardless of velocity thanks to its digitally controlled variable sweep wings and surpassing speed performance. The "Super Tomcat" also boasts of long-range counterattack capability that can defeat a large number of incoming enemy fighters."

- Hangar


 * How to Unlock
 * The F-14D is available for the campaign prior to Power Play".


 * Statistics
 * Speed: High
 * Mobility: Medium
 * Stability: High
 * Fire Power: High
 * Defense: Medium-High


 * Special Weapons
 * 6AAM AIM-54 Phoenix
 * SAAM AIM-7 Sparrow


 * Colors
 * Color 1: United States Navy. Grey drab.
 * Color 2: United States Navy. Blue splinter camouflage.
 * Color 3: Super Tomcat 21 color scheme.
 * Color 4: Razgriz Squadron livery. Earned by achieving the "Ace Striker" bonus five times in competitive multiplayer.
 * Color 5: Zipang livery. Earned by getting 100,000 points with the F-14D in competitive multiplayer.
 * Color 6: Halloween Pumpkin (DLC)
 * Color 7: Jolly Rogers (DLC)
 * Color 8: VF-1J Valkyrie (DLC)
 * Color 9: VF-1S Valkyrie (DLC)


 * Gallery

Trivia

 * In Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, the F-14D carries XLAAs (AIM-54 Phoenix) on stations 1B, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8B, a configuration known in the United States Navy as the "Chainsaw" tactic. Such a missile arrangement was designed for situations where a carrier battle group came under attack from the Soviet Union's bombers or cruise missiles, in which every available F-14 would be scrambled to intercept and potentially return to continue operating in such a manner until the cessation of enemy attacks.
 * In Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, the F-14D is depicted with VF-103 paint scheme as DLC. VF-103 actually operated the F-14B, the closest comparison to the F-14D.  The F-14B utilized many of the avionics and systems from the F-14A, the chief differences being the new GE engines, newer RHAW gear and deletion of the glove vanes.
 * At a high speeds in game, the Tomcat of all variants can do the same counter maneuver used by Maverick in the movie Top Gun against Jester in the first training hop against the A-4 Skyhawk. With his aircraft precariously in front of Jester's A-4, Maverick says "I'll hit the brakes and he'll fly right by," and he then performs a pitch pulse (which resembles and works off the same principles as Pugachev's Cobra, albeit without the nose passing 90 degrees vertical), effectively putting him behind his opponent. In reality, the pitch pulse wouldn't normally be performed above 325KIAS due to the potential for over-g, nor is it tactically sound, easily counterable by a high yo-yo; more than anything else, it was a familiarization maneuver for newer aircrews to acquaint them with the F-14's pitch authority.  With a bit of practice, it can be a handy trick in game.
 * The OS color scheme in The Unsung War, Mercenary color scheme in The Belkan War, Aurelian color scheme in Skies of Deception, Color 1 in Joint Assault and Color 2 in Assault Horizon is the color scheme of the NSAWCS' F-14D (Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center). This color scheme also mimics the color scheme of the Su-27M (early Su-35)
 * Savanna's color scheme in Skies of Deception and Color 3 in Joint Assault are based on the color scheme of the Iranian Air Force's F-14A.