"Bombcat" upgrades, yay or nay?

In the 90's, 67 F-14B's (out of 86) were upgraded to use air-to-ground munitions, and these were referred to as "Bombcats." We don't know if Leatherneck is planning to include these upgrades to the A+/B version of the F-14, but let's assume they haven't. Do you think the time and resources it would take to implement air-to-ground capability would be worth it? Would you want them implemented on release day or later?

important question, would be nice to get an early feedback on this from leatherneck simulations

The F-14B is the bombcat

As much as I loved the Strike Fighters Tomcat, the A-A only missions killed replayability for me. I want a multi-role strike-fighter with PGMs

The F-14B is the bombcat

If people spent as much time reading and doing a little research as the did asking questions and start polls we wouldn't have as many polls..

The B models were A/G capable

Less than 24 hours since the announcement and already you're

A. Assuming things

B. Trying to force change...

The F-14A could also carry bombs, it was built into the stores management system from the start.

It needed an upgrade to the tactical information display to be able to use LANTRIN to designate it's own guided munitions

dat reading comprehension

The B models were A/G capable

AFTER being upgraded following Desert Storm

Less than 24 hours since the announcement and already you're

A. Assuming things

For the sake of discussion in case A/G, which wasn't advertised despite being just as important as other listed features, is not planned?

B. Trying to force change...

By making a poll and asking questions? lol

As you can see in the renders; the Phoenix rails have bombcat extensions modelled and ready to go.

We hope to include the Bombcat upgrade, but this will be subject to available research.

Lets pray Leatherneck can find enough available data then :)

Good luck guys

As you can see in the renders; the Phoenix rails have bombcat extensions modelled and ready to go.

We hope to include the Bombcat upgrade, but this will be subject to available research.

Great news!

Poll is currently trending towards "yes please" so asking the community if they have any relevant information on the upgrades might help you out.

That would be really shame to not have the Bombcat in for release. :(

But if you can sell it as an upgrade later then I have no problem with that. :)

Just because you can release mk.82s from the rail adapter doesn't necessarily make it a bombcat does it?

I thought even the vanilla F-14A was compatible with iron bombs from the off just with no real way to aim them.

Which, in the early 1970's wasn't really thought to be very necessary if you've got 20 or so of them.

Lets get away from "Bombcat". The F-14 almost never dropped iron bombs. The first weapons dropped in anger by a Tomcat were LGBs designated by F-18s in the 90s over Yugo. F-14s dropped dumb bombs during OEF but infrequently.

What I want is a Cat that can drop self designated PGMs. That means LANTIRN. That means a Cat wired for MIL-STD-1553B. I know for certain that Bs and Ds met that wiring standard and I think some As had it as well.

So, what I want is an A with TF-30s that lobs Phoenix around and a B with GE-110s and LANTIRN that drops LGBs and JDAM.

I think THAT will give us a good representation of what was out in the fleet.

No it is not. The F-14B is the F-14A+. The Bombcat is the upgraded F-14B.

I gotta say, I don't really understand all the commotion over the AG capability. The F-14 is probably one of the most requested aircraft and when it is finally announced all everyone is talking/asking about is the AG capability. The F-14 was primarily designed for the interceptor/air superiority role. AA combat is its main purpose. It would be the same as if when the A-10 was announced and all people talked about was its AA capabilities

"Yes, but it can be added in a patch later on." for me

If they make a old variant of the F-14A and an upgraded one of the F-14B (the Bombcat) well since the Bombcat have more avionic and stuff to deal with, it could come after the A

So yes i want it, but if the Tomcat A come first and the B in variant Bombcat come after, like both C-101 that come with a delay, well rather not delay the release of the A variant and lets them time to finish the work the the Bombcat after that !

I gotta say, I don't really understand all the commotion over the AG capability. The F-14 is probably one of the most requested aircraft and when it is finally announced all everyone is talking/asking about is the AG capability. The F-14 was primarily designed for the interceptor/air superiority role. AA combat is its main purpose. It would be the same as if when the A-10 was announced and all people talked about was its AA capabilities

Because AG capability won't make him loose his AA performance if you use it with a full AA only payload, but it will give VARIETY and open way more possibility, that's why between fighter and multirole, peoples want multirole, some may not be able to buy several module, and they will prefer having multirole capable aircraft that will give them large experience rather than a limited one...

Then if we have 2 tomcat, i don't see the bad in having a 100% fighter one + a Strike Fighter variant !

That's why people if they have the choice between for example F-18C and F-15C will prefer the Hornet for the variety of things he can do...

Actually we don't have yet any high fidelity modern fighter, only one or attack aircraft, and everyone want fighter, but if we had fighters only (F-15C rather than the A-10C for example) it will be the same, peoples will want a ground attack, if we had the F-15E or the F/A-18C for example rather than the Hog, well almost everyone would have been happy...

Variety, liberty, choice and possibility, key words !

No one will force you to use the ground attack side of the Bombcat ;)

I gotta say, I don't really understand all the commotion over the AG capability.

It's not hard to understand. Having air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities would be more exciting/interesting and offer more variety than having only air-to-air capabilities.

Fair enough and very good points. Wasn't trying to be hostile. I guess my concern was that everyone wanting AG that LN would sacrifice some authenticity or realism for the sake of making people happy. But I guess that's what the point of releasing multiple variants is for!!

As you can see in the renders; the Phoenix rails have bombcat extensions modelled and ready to go.

We hope to include the Bombcat upgrade, but this will be subject to available research.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

Voted "Yes, and I'd like capability included on release.".

I'm not planning on buying it if it's not capable of self-designating PGMs. Pure fighters don't offer much gameplay value.

The F-14 Tomcat, the combat aircraft which probably had the most brutal BVR air-to-air capability yet, capable of engaging up to six targets simultaneously from 100+ nms, designed around it's Phoenix/AWG-9 combo to defend against massive cruise missile/bomber attacks, like the Warthog was designed around it's GAU-8 to effectively engage hordes of soviet armor...

But wherez mah bumbz guise???

...

Voted third option, not critical for the '14, but if they have time/resources, then yeah, I don't mind, especially if it's such a deal breaker for many.

The F-14 Tomcat, the combat aircraft which probably had the most brutal BVR air-to-air capability yet, capable of engaging up to six targets simultaneously from 100+ nms, designed around it's Phoenix/AWG-9 combo to defend against massive cruise missile/bomber attacks, like the Warthog was designed around it's GAU-8 to effectively engage hordes of soviet armor...

 

But wherez mah bumbz guise???

 

...

 

This. I voted no. Really people, they announce a new plane and people are already all over them with new requests and additions they require. All of you guys demanding your "bombcat", you do realize that this stuff takes time to implement, and that it would add a significant delay to it's production???!!!

How many dedicated AA aircraft jets do we have simulated at a DCS level right now? One. 1!!!! If it wasn't for Leatherneck we wouldnt even have the one.

So why not go play with a dedicated ground mover like the A10C or the Su25 and give the rest of us something to look forward to.

Voted "Yes, and I'd like capability included on release.".

 

I'm not planning on buying it if it's not capable of self-designating PGMs. Pure fighters don't offer much gameplay value.

Well, what you're asking for was not part of the Bombcat upgrade, but was added later on and available since around 1996 only IIRC with LANTIRN Targeting System (LTS) integration (modified LANTIRN targetting pod with added GPS navigation and weapon cueing).