Just saw an episode on Modern Marvels "The F-14" on the History Channel. I must say it was the most informative peice I have ever seen on the F-14. If you missed it you missed a great history. The F-14 is still the worlds most powerful and advanced fighter/bomber, more advanced than the EF2000 or F-22. It can shoot six AIM-154's at the same time, at 150 mile range, and detect targets at 200 mile ranges. Its radar has ECM coded into it so when you lock the AWG-9 on to an enemy fighter, it can't detect that you are being tracked. It can carry a recon pod that can see out to 300 miles. Its infrared pod under the nose can detect the heat trail of an aircraft at 40 miles. It can still out turn most fighters and is one of the fastest in the world. After I saw this episode just now I'd say that if you were in a Su-27 vs. F-14 battle, I'd be turning that Su-27 on its tail and fl like a bat outta hell, because at 150 miles the Pheonix will take 30 seconds to reach you at Mach 6. Beware people that diss the Tomcat, you tread on dangerous ground.  

Why not both? 1 F-14 and 1 A-10 

Didn't see the show but it makes you wonder what is next when that is available now!!

It said on the show that the F-14 could be in service until 2007, when it will be replaced by the JSF. They keep it in service because the Hornet just can't do the job the Tomcat can. When we were in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, the F-14 was the only aircraft that could get there, the Hornet could not. Also the Hornets radar is no where near as powerful as the Tomcat, its slower, it maybe more agile but the Tomcat would win easily in any case. Back in the 80's when we gave about 80 Tomcats to Iran they ran a contest. F-15 vs F-14. The F-15 went first, did its trick. Then the F-14 went, took off, swept wings full back, pulled a hard 180, came back down the runway at 500 knots, while in a 90 degree turn, it extended its wings, Iran was very impressed. But when the Shah of Iran fell, the F-14's were in enemy hands now, but useless. Before leaving Iran Grumman engineers removed the firing computers from the Tomcat. Also without spare parts or even knowing how to maintain them they went into disrepair. It is now beleived most if not all of the Tomcats are now in the desert in storage or rotting away.

The F-14 is a great fighter but, it also about as old as its current crews  .
I don't know where the info on the Iranian F-14s missing their firing computers came from, the saw active service against Iraq, and claimed a Mirage F.1 and maybey a few migs (can't remember. There was also a claim by the Iraqi airforce that a Mirage downed a Tomcat.
The JSF is intended to replace the F/A-18 not the F-14, thats the job of the F/A-18E/F, which frankly arn't up to the task.
Also I wouldn't say that the F-14 is more capable than the F-22 or EFA as both will be able to turn well inside the F-14, climb faster and the F-22 will be undedtectable.
Still my fav. naval fighter though 8).

The F-14 can shoot down your EFA from 100 miles within 38 seconds from firing. Hasta la vista... Even though it is more agile it can still out preform the EFA in range and payload, the F-22 would be a different story. Yes the F/A-18E/F was intended to replace the F-14 but it didnt cut it. So the JSF will be replacing the F-14 and F/A-18C's I beleive. The F-14 has the IRTS like the EFA does, to track aircraft by infrared from 40 miles. It doesn't matter if its older than most of its pilots, it can still crush the any adversary it comes up against. The F-22 has to close to within 30 miles from an AMRAAM launch and by then the F-14's IRTS could have picked it up and be high tailing it out of there, its still an extremely fast fighter. New or old. Watch this video of it going by at top speed, (make sure your sound is turned down hehe) http://www.voodoo.cz/tomcat/an/boom.mpg
and this one http://www.voodoo.cz/tomcat/an/sonicbm3.avi

Yes per US ROE targets must be IDed first. The AIM-54C is not at first designed to attack fighters. It was designed to engage at long range groups of bombers or cruise missles inbound to the carrier. Also the MiG engagements, there were two, and four Libyan MiG's were shot down. My NJROTC instructor was one of three controllers in an E-2C Hawkeye directing the engagements of one of the battles.

I can't seriously believe that the f-14 is all that amazing. On saturday at RIAT if you listened to commentary on the A-10 display you'd think it can kill any and every aircraft. I don't think that it could beat an f-22 or an EFA. It might put up a big fight but I don't know if it would win.