United States Legacy Northrop Grumman
F-14 Tomcat
Twin-engine, variable-sweep-wing carrier-based interceptor built by Grumman (now part of Northrop Grumman) as the US Navy's premier fleet-defense fighter for three decades. Retired by the US Navy in 2006, it remains in active service only with Iran.
In service since 1974 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
2,485
km/h
2,960
km range
15,200
m ceiling
6,600
kg payload
0.88
T/W
Pricing: Out of production; historical program cost only
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1974. Status: legacy · ~712 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 2,485 km/h Stronger than 85% of fighters
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 2.34 Mach Stronger than 87% of fighters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 2,960 km Stronger than 44% of fighters
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 900 km Stronger than 49% of fighters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 15,200 m Stronger than 18% of fighters
- Thrust-to-weight
Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.
- 0.88 Stronger than 13% of fighters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan rotary cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 10 Stronger than 64% of fighters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 6,600 kg Stronger than 42% of fighters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- ALQ-126 EW system, chaff, flares
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 19.1 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 19.5 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 4.88 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 19,800 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 27,100 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x General Electric F110-GE-400 afterburning turbofans
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 124 kN Stronger than 64% of fighters
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 7,300 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- AN/AWG-9 (F-14A/B) or AN/APG-71 (F-14D) long-range radar
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- TCS television camera set, AN/AAX-1 infrared search and track
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 712 Stronger than 82% of fighters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 23% of fighters
Specifications compiled from public Northrop Grumman and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Dassault Aviation Rafale F4 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat? +
The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat has a maximum speed of 2,485 km/h.
What is the range of the Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat? +
The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat has a maximum range of 2,960 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat? +
The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat can carry up to 6,600 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat weigh? +
The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat has a combat weight of 27,100 kg.
How many crew does the Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat require? +
The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat? +
The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat's primary weapon is the 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan rotary cannon.
What engine does the Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat use? +
The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat is powered by the 2x General Electric F110-GE-400 afterburning turbofans.
What is the Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat used for? +
The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority, isr.
How many countries operate the Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat? +
The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat cost? +
Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat: Out of production; historical program cost only. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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