The F-14 Tomcat entered service in 1972 as the replacement for the F-4 Phantom II, the Navy’s premier fighter aircraft. Featuring a unique variable geometry wing that automatically sweeps forward or back during flight for maximum performance, the aircraft is also equipped with the AN/AWG-9 weapons system. This advanced avionics equipment allows the F-14 crew to detect airborne targets at ranges up to 195 miles, as well as track and attack six enemy aircraft simultaneously.

The Museum’s F-14A Tomcat was received by the U.S. Navy August 16, 1976 and served in several naval squadrons, where it logged 6,844 landings, 937 ship arrests, and 925 catapult launches. It came to the museum from NAS Oceana on December 17, 1997 on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum of Pensacola, Florida.