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target acquisition radar as their sister squadron, VF-41, targeted an al-Qaeda training camp near Kandahar.
In all, nine Tomcat squadrons participated in OEF, VF-11(F-14B), VF-14(F-14A), VF-31(F-14D), VF-41(F-14A), VF-102(F-14B), VF-103(F-14B), VF-143(F-14B), VF-211(F-14A) and VF-213(F-14D). More than 1,400,000lbs of munitions were expended during OEF. VF-213 holds the distinction of delivering the first bombs of OEF and on March 12, 2002, a F-14B, assigned to VF-11, delivered the first JDAM while flying a combat sortie.
A total of nine Tomcat squadrons flew combat missions during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, VF-2 (F-14D), VF-11 (F-14B), VF-31 (F-14D), VF-32 (F-14B), VF-103 (F-14B), VF-143 (F-14B), VF-154 (F-14A) VF-211 (F-14A) and VF-213 (F-14D).
This combined Tomcat force flew more than 2,500 combat related sorties and delivered 1,452 GBU, JDAM and MK-82 bombs. One Tomcat, F-14A 158620 assigned to VF-154, was lost following a crash in Iraq due to engine failure on February 4, 2003. During OIF, the Tomcat reached its full potential and became a much sought after asset by ground troops who preferred its superior on station and Forward Air Control capabilities.
The final deployment/combat operations for the F-14 involved VF-31 and VF-213 embarked aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) from September 1, 2005 to March 10, 2006. During this deployment, F-14D 161166, became the first Tomcat to utilize a new, off-the-shelf improvement known as ROVER. The system enabled the crew to see what the Ground Controller was seeing from their vantage point, eliminating the time-consuming effort of talking the crew onto the target.
During May 2005, the US Navy’s final two Tomcat squadrons, VF-31 and VF-213, deployed to NAS Fallon, NV, for pre-deployment workups in preparation for deployment aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). The Air wing, CVW-8, deployed to the Arabian Gulf commencing September 1, 2005, returning to NAS Oceana on March 10, 2006. The Tomcat depicted here is F-14D 164602, assigned to VF-213. It wears the squadron’s retro paint scheme. This Tomcat was delivered to AMARG on March 28, 2006 and is still there, held in Museum Hold status.