F-14s heading to aircraft graveyard

I wonder if Iran would be interested?

I'm sure they would love to get their hands on the parts to get the ones they
DO have flying again!

"FLYWITHJAY" wrote in message
...
I wonder if Iran would be interested?

I'm sure they would love to get their hands on the parts to get the ones
they
DO have flying again!

They still have around 20-30 flying. All sorts of rumours about re-engining,
glass cockpits, new radar etc, which I would take with a pinch of salt.

Israel is supposed to have helped with spare parts, according to one source
I've seen. Then there was the Iran Contra business, which is supposed to
have involved F-14 parts among other things. Other than that, they have
cannibalised, and developed the ability to make some parts locally. They got
late model F14As with the TF30-P-414 engine. They bought 79 and 284 AIM 54s.
The missiles were exhausted some years ago, leaving them as mini-AWACS with
Sparrow and Sidewinder for self defence. Supposedly the plan is to use them
as bombers until they run out of airframe life.

HTH

John