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(Continued from Page 21) The final air-to-ground enhancement was ROVER, Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver. This off-the-shelf modification cost only $800.00 per aircraft. ROVER allowed forward deployed ground controllers to see in real time what the Tomcat aircrew was seeing. Prior to ROVER, ground controllers had to talk the Tomcat aircrew onto the target. The system was installed on VF-31 and VF-213 Tomcats participating in the final Tomcat cruise, September 1, 2005 to March 10, 2006, aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, (CVN-71).
TOMCAT COMBAT OPERATIONS
Although deployed to the waters off the coast of Vietnam, aboard the USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) the Tomcats of VF-1 and VF-2 did not engage in combat. They instead flew reconnaissance missions and provided Combat Air Patrol (CAP) during OPERATION FREQUENT WIND, the evacuation of Americans from Saigon. One year later, 1976, Tomcats were once again called upon to cover the withdrawal of U.S. Citizens, this time from Beirut, Lebanon, during OPERATION FLUID DRIVE. During OPERATION EAGLE CLAW, April 1980, two F-14A squadrons, VF-41 and VF-84 embarked aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) were tasked with providing cover for US Forces attempting to rescue hostages held by Iran. The mission failed. Eight U.S. servicemen and one Iranian civilian lost their lives as a result.