After a flight of 1:05 hrs , flying in the C-2 COD ( carrier-onboard-delivery ) from Bahrain anywhere in Persian Gulf with VRC-40 Rawhides with no
windows and only a seat back to stare at, the loadmasters finally began waving there arms signaling 25-seconds to landing. Without warning, have a friend place 75lbs on your chest and try to make your eyes touch the back
of your skull…yeah, that’s pretty much what it feels like we are now aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt for the “Last Tomcat Cruise 2005-2006”
forever. The last two squadrons of active duty F-14 Tomcats VF-213 & VF-31 (the Squadron's last cruise 2005-2006 with the F-14, but they are going to convert to the Super Hornet, so all is not lost) left Oceana Naval Air
Station September 1.They are assigned to Carrier Air Wing Eight ( CVW-8 ), currently embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) on their way to the Persian Gulf
CVW-8 ( Carrier Air Wing Eight ) Commander is Captain Bill Sizemore and the last F-14 Tomcat Commanders are VF-31- Commander Richard
Labranche , callsign “Twig” and VF-213- Commander Daniel "Slaveboy" Cave. Aircraft assigned to CVW-8 are currently supporting Operation Steel
Curtain, an offensive aimed at preventing cells of Al Qaeda from entering Iraq through the Syrian border. The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG), along with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8, has been deployed in
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Maritime Security Operations (MSO) for more than two months, and continues to make a positive impact on the Gulf region for the Mediterranean/Arabian Gulf Cruise 2005-2006 .
The number of flights per day varies greatly dependant on internal and external commitments/needs and they fly both day and night for the same reasons. They are just as
capable during night OPs as are during the daytime, but right now they are flying more night OPS
From Sept. 24, through Nov. 1, CVW 8 conducted 2,070 sorties, 624 in support of OIF and 557 in support of Maritime Security Operations. Almost
all of the missions are in support of the troops on the ground in Iraq Close Air Support (CAS), but they also patrol the Arabian Gulf in support of the carrier strike group. Carrier Air Wing Eight aircraft have two primary types of
missions. The most common are Maritime Support Operations (MSO), which are flights around the North Arabian Gulf that are intended to "pressurize the maritime environment," i.e. keep the shipping lanes and oil platforms
open and free for commerce. For Tomcat crews, MSO hops are typically low-level flights in the vicinity of platforms and high-traffic areas. Though our main goal is simply to provide a low and loud presence, we also
occasionally investigate unknown surface contacts on behalf of the ship. These are typically short hops -- just over an hour -- not far from the carrier.
The second mission is, of course, to support OIF ground forces. These missions, which make up almost half of our squadron's workload (but a
smaller percentage for the entire air wing), are longer (5+ hours) flights over Iraq. They are coordinated centrally by the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in response to requests for air support by
a variety of units throughout the region. Our squadron typically flies a few OIF hops and few MSO hops each day, with each sortie consisting of a section of two jets each. Because OIF missions are so long, they always
end with night recoveries, while the MSO flights are split down the middle day/night , said LTJG “Timmeh” , RIO VF-213. The Tomcat's primary air-to-ground sensor in the past was the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System
(TARPS), but it was phased out a few years ago. Now the LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation Targeting Infrared at Night) Targeting System (LTS) pod is the primary tool for identifying targets and guiding Laser
Guided Bombs (LGBs). The system was adapted for use on the Tomcat in the mid-Nineties and has been a huge part of its mission ever since. In the air-to-ground role, the Tomcat can carry the Mk82/83/84 series of
unguided bombs, the GBU-12/16/10 Paveway II LGBs, the GBU-24 Paveway III, the GBU-31/38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), and Rockeye cluster bombs.
For air-to-air, we carry the AIM-9M Sidewinder and the AIM-7H Sparrow. (The AIM-54 Phoenix was phased out of the inventory last year.) The
M61A1 20mm cannon is both and A/A and A/G weapon. The F-14 can track up to 24 targets simultaneously with its advanced weapons control system and attack six with Phoenix AIM-54A missiles while continuing to scan the
airspace. This cruise marks the first (and last) time that the Tomcat has carried the GBU-38, the 500 lb version of the JDAM GPS-guided bomb. It has since become one of there primary weapons , said one of the VF-31
pilots we talked too. The CVW-8 is currently made up of VF-31 Tomcatters ( F-14D Tomcat ) , VF-213 Black Lions ( F-14D Tomcat ) ,VFA-15 Valions (F/A-18C Hornet) , VFA-87 Golden Warriors ( FA-18C Hornet ), VAQ-141
Shadowhawks (EA-6B Prowler), VAW-124 Bear Aces (E-2C Hawkeye 2000 NP), HS-3 Tridents (SH-60F/HH-60H Seahawk) and VS-24 Scouts (S-3B Viking).
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT is the fourth ship in the NIMITZ - class of nuclear powered aircraft carriers. The carrier already participated in several
wars and operations: The Gulf War in 1991, Operation Allied Force in 1999, Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001/2002 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and now they are back in the Persian Gulf. The ship left Norfolk on
September 1st 2oo5 and all of there aircraft came from Virginia Beach except for HS-3 in Mayport, FL , S-3’s in Jacksonville, FL, and EA-6B Prowlers in Whidbey Island. A return date is not set in stone although it will most
likely be in mid to late March 2006. The ship has about 3200 Sailors onboard and the Airwing ( CVW-8 ) adds another 2200 or so when they are onboard.
VF-31 has nearly 300 personnel in there squadron, and about 10% of which are aircrew. And as “Twig” , Commander La Branche told us, they ( VF-31 )
received there last Pilots and RIOs in the early spring of this year (2005). VF-213 has approximately 35 officers and 250 enlisted maintainers/support personnel. We have 15 aircrews – i.e. 15 pilots and 15 RIOs said LTJG
“Timmeh” a RIO from VF-213. The last Tomcat nugget pilot ever – LT Matt Nieswand – joined VF-213 in April. There are 13 total nuggets in the
squadron, though. The Tomcat is an awesome airplane, and I’m glad I got the chance to fly it – even if only for a short time , said “Timmeh” ( RIO VF
-213). He told as further , that when they arrive on seen or deploy, they are fully combat ready . There is no particular number, but rather a
competency level reached that determines combat readiness and some aircrew require more time and traps
than others, but by the time they get here, the are fully capable , said “Twig”. Since “Twig” is not a RIO, but
he gave us his perspective that is a difficult question to answer , what he requires from his RIOs….” They should be able to fully, and expertly manage ALL F-14 sensors to the maximum extent possible which
provides the best product to our customers....troops on the ground. Additionally, when not employing sensors, like during transits or take-offs and landing, I expect that the are competent navigators and co
-pilots, monitoring the pilot's instruments as a back-up” said Commander La Branche. Maintaining the F14 has become increasingly more difficult as the airframe ages, but there availability and the lethality of the
Tomcat is better than it has ever been. The Tomcat is literally at the top of its game right now, but it's being done through the hard work of the great people who maintain it. It takes about 35-45 maintenance man
-hours per flight-hour. The Tomcat is an aging, complex airplane but we still manage a 98% sortie rate said LTJG “Timmeh” , RIO VF-213
Maintainers are working on the jets 24 hours a day, with the shift changes at 6 AM and 6 PM. Combat briefs are 2.5 hours before launch time, with
aircrews getting to their jets about an hour before launch. The last recovery is typically around midnight. We generally prep and brief 2.5 hours prior to our flight, fly for anywhere from 1.3 to 8 hours and then
debrief for an hour. It's a long day but it's important to get all the details reviewed and then debrief things that went well and not as well so we
learn from every experience, said “Twig” to describe a typical day- and a night ops mission. A mission over Iraq lasts approx 7-8 hours and refuelings can happen 4 to 6 times during a mission. They fly ALL of there missions in
Iraq in support of there troops trying to set the conditions for security in the region. Flying throughout different areas, literally all over the country to help coalition forces to ensure
their security where they are. They drop, and have dropped precision munitions in support of there troops in contact with the enemy.
Is there any particularly memorable mission you can describe to us. What was memorable about it? We asked Commander “Twig” La Branche and he
told us: “They're all memorable for different reasons, but helping troops on the ground in need, who are taking hostile fire is what we live for. When
our intervention helps save their lives, that is the best of all feelings. Helping those troops on the ground!” he said. “We focus mostly of Close Air
Support, for all the reasons previously outlined. Right now, the providing support for our brothers and sisters on the ground is our focus, but
we continue to ensure our competencies in all areas as you might expect..” he added.
Precision Strike provides the F-14 the capability to deliver laser-guided bombs for air-to-ground missions. It consists of the LANTIRN pod with laser
designator and internal navigation system, LANTIRN control panel and night vision capable displays. The ground attack capabilities were required to partially compensate for the loss in combat capabilities during the period
starting in 1997, when all of its A-6E Intruder attack aircraft were retired, to the turn of the century when the F/A-18E/F, the next generation strike fighter, was scheduled to arrive. The F-14 was undergoing two upgrades.
Upgraded F-14s generally have greater range than the F/A-18C and could possibly reach targets beyond the Hornet's range.
The Tomcat has the strongest engines (equipped with two General Electric F-110-GE-400, augmented turbofan engines with afterburners) but the EA
-6B Prowler has been known to make the most noise, depending on who you speak to aboard the CVN 71. The F-14D is either a remanufactured F-14A or new production aircraft, both equipped with F110-GE-400 engines,
new radar, and new avionics systems. The F-14D provides controls and displays that increase aircrew effectiveness through automation and simplicity. F-14s are suited for forward air control airborne FAC(A) missions
because their cockpit is crewed by two people, leaving the backseat pilot to focus more fully on monitoring the airspace and bringing in firepower, the Navy officials said. Because the FAC(A) mission is considered so demanding
-- with crucial information being rapidly passed back-and-forth -- commanders only use two-seat aircraft for those missions, said the Navy officials. Thus, the Tomcat and the F/A-18F -- the Navy's only two-seat fighters
-- are the preferred Navy aircraft for FAC(A) operations, the officials said. Although the Navy retire its Tomcat fleet as it introduces the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the F-14 has continued to provide valuable capabilities in
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tomcats have a better fuel capability than F/A-18 Hornets, so F-14s can fly a bit longer and faster, according to Navy officials familiar with the aircraft. Although
it depends on the particular flight profile, an F-14 can typically fly a round trip of 800 miles in about one-and-a-half to two hours without refueling, the officials said.
Operation Iraqi Freedom marked the first operational deployment of some F/A-18Fs, which were carried aboard the Nimitz (CVN-68) aircraft carrier. But
for carriers without the two-seat Super Hornet, the F-14 would be a battle commander's aircraft of choice for precision strike missions because of its two-seat cockpit, LANTIRN pod, and longer range, the officials said. "That is
just common sense," said one official. Will be the role of the VF-31 changing in the future , and if yes what will be new.... or the same... as you will be
then VFA-31 we asked “Twig” , and he said “ I don't see our role changing much in the future. Subtle differences in tactics due to advances
in technology, but I think our core competencies will remain the same. I think any changes will be brought about by new needs and requirements associated with the next threat and will be evolutionary in nature.”
After the final prototype of the F-14 took off on May 24th, 1971. And the first two squadrons in 1974, the VF-1 Wolfpack and the VF-2 Bounty
Hunters, were deployed and assigned to the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) , the F-14 Tomcat is on there last deployment for ever and an era will end when
the last “cats” will be flown off from the “Big Stick” in March 2006 , back to NAS Oceana , Va. The F-14 is already in service for more than 27 years, has
accumulated more than 1.6 million flighthours during its first 20 years of service, and on its final day with the Navy the F-14 will have done its duty for nearly four decades!!!
Time quickly passed and it was then once again time to don the gear (cranial, lifejacket) for the C-2 COD flight back to Manama , Bahrain after 24 hours aboard the “Big Stick”…… Good bye Tomcat!
Michael Balter
Release 4.0/2008
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