(Harry Andreas) wrote in message ...
In article et, "Thomas
Schoene" wrote:

"Flub" wrote in message

When the US Navy is going to retire all of its F-14 Tomcats, what will
happen with the feared long-range Pheonix missile? As I know, the
F-14 is the only frame that can carry this weapon. Or am I wrong?
Will the Super Hornet use the AIM-54? Or will they retire the AIM-54
also, as it has no longer such a military value as during the Cold
War?

The F-14As go away by the end of 2004 (if not earlier) and the Bs and Ds by
2007/2008.

I believe Phoenix is actually being retired before the F-14. Earlier this
year, they talked about a "vertical kill" to the Phoenix budget line to free
up money for new programs. If that happened, look for the missile to
disappear by 2004.

No other aircraft can fire Pheonix, but the rnage of AMRAAM keeps creeping
up. At some point, it may be a match to AIM-545 (perhaps with a ramjet
engine like Meteor, perhaps not).

That won't help the F-14D fleet though. They can't shoot AIM-120 without
aircraft upgrades and radar software. Have to balance the cost of
that against the cost of keeping some AIM-54s alive.

Not necessarily. Given that the air threat to the CV's, or for that
matter to their strike packages, is greatly reduced these days, the
USN may be willing to place the major air defense/air superiority
roles solely in the hands of the F-18's with their AIM-120's, and use
the diminishing Tomcat fleet in their "Bombcat" role, with only
AIM-9's for self defense.

Brooks