Israel destroys pair of Iranian F-14 Tomcats

The Israel Defense Forces have released a video showing a pair of Iranian F-14 Tomcats being destroyed in a recent airstrike.

In a daring operation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released infrared camera footage of a pair of F-14A Tomcat fighter jets being destroyed by an attack as they were parked outside reinforced aircraft shelters at Mehrabad International Airport in central Iran, an area vital to Iran’s military infrastructure. Photo: @Israel Defense Forces.

Israeli Defense Forces spokeswoman Brigadier General Effie Defrin revealed that the attack was part of an expanded Israeli campaign to permanently destroy Iran's air defense capabilities, including destroying the Iranian Air Force's fleet of fixed-wing aircraft. Photo: @Israel Defense Forces.

The aerial clip shows the moment two US-made jets were blown up in a precision strike. However, the Israel Defense Forces did not specify what type of precision weapon was used to destroy them. Photo: @Israel Defense Forces.

Both F-14A Tomcat fighter jets were completely destroyed in the clip, which shows a giant fireball rising from the scene of the attack. Photo: @Israel Defense Forces.

“These F-14A Tomcats are intended to intercept Israeli aircraft,” the Israel Defense Forces wrote in a caption alongside the clip posted on social media X. Photo: @Israel Defense Forces.

Defense analysts who reviewed the footage said the two F-14A Tomcat fighter jets seen in the clip are likely no longer flying and have been grounded for a long time, Defense Blog reported. Photo: @Israel Defense Forces.

Regardless, the operation underscores Israel’s ongoing efforts to curb Iran’s military capabilities, particularly its ability to project air power in the region. Photo: @Israel Defense Forces.

The F-14A Tomcat is a twin-tailed twin-seat fighter aircraft built by the American manufacturer Grumman, equipped with a powerful AN/AWG-9 radar and capable of carrying AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, which have a range of over 160 km. It was retired from the US Navy nearly two decades ago in September 2006, ending more than three decades of service after its introduction in September 1974. Photo: @ Army Recognition.

However, it remained in service in Iran after the pre-Islamic regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi purchased a total of 80 F-14s from the US in the early 1970s, before the 1979 Islamic Revolution soured relations between Washington and Tehran. Photo: @ Military Watch Magazine.

The F-14A Tomcat remains the cornerstone of Iran’s aging air force, despite being outdated compared to modern fighters. According to a report by the Aviationist, Iran still has around 40 to 42 Tomcats, and Iran remains the only country outside the US to possess the fighter jet. Photo: @ Digital Combat Simulator.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/israel-pha-huy-cap-may-bay-f-14-tomcat-cua-iran-post1548676.html