"Bombcat" role

The "Bombcat" role the F-14 was assigned at the end of her navy career is something I find interesting. The most detailed information I found overherehttp://defencyclopedia.com/2015/02/14/origins-the-story-of-the-legendary-f-14-tomcat/

The A-6 intruder was the backbone of the USN attack missions. When the A-6 intruder was retired, the Navy urgently needed an aircraft to fill the attack role and the F-14s were upgraded with Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) for ground attack. These Tomcats were nicknamed ‘Bombcats’ as they carried out bombing operations when their intended role was a pure fighter. They carried out bombing missions using Laser Guided Bombs and Gravity bombs

What would the possibilities be for the leatherneck A/B dcs version to forfill this role. As far as I know there would be need for an air to ground radar (that seems to be in the development stage by the dcs crew. Correct me if I'm wrong on that). Also would there be need for a laser designation pod or such?

Leatherneck has said that they plan to include ground attack capability with the F-14B. However, they have not confirmed whether they will include the LANTIRN Pod for target designation.

The F-14A will be set in the mid-late 1980s and will not include ground attack capability (though the F-14A has basic CCIP software, the Tomcat did not have either bomb racks or clearance to drop bombs back then).

We'll have to wait and see about the LANTIRN part, but you will be able to drop bombs with the F-14B.

-Nick

What blacklion said.

They've already answered this. The F-14A is a mid-eighties, and the F-14B is 1995 version. F-14s were carrying and dropping dumb bombs since the early 90s, but were not LANTIRN upgraded and not prioritizing the mud mission about counter air.

No F-14 used air to ground modes in operational service. The APG-71 could have been upgraded, but it never was. The baseline F-14A from the 1970s still had a CCIP mode AFAIK but that's it. If the launch is very successful, I'd imagine LS might consider a bombcat upgrade, but there is not one planned at this time.

What blacklion said.

They've already answered this. The F-14A is a mid-eighties, and the F-14B is 1995 version. F-14s were carrying and dropping dumb bombs since the early 90s, but were not LANTIRN upgraded and not prioritizing the mud mission about counter air.

No F-14 used air to ground modes in operational service. The APG-71 could have been upgraded, but it never was. The baseline F-14A from the 1970s still had a CCIP mode AFAIK but that's it. If the launch is very successful, I'd imagine LS might consider a bombcat upgrade, but there is not one planned at this time.

When did they say 1995? The only dates I've heard for the F-14B is "Mid 90s". Also, what you've written is very confusing. F-14s were most definitely used for air to ground work and were in fact preferred because after the bombcat upgrade, the large screens the RIO had availible to him allowed him to be more accurate than USAF strike craft for designating precision guided weapons.

I haven't seen anywhere where LN has either confirmed or ruled out the bombcat upgrade.

Part of the confusion is that there was no true "Bombcat" upgrade, just a series of incremental changes that allowed for or improved the F-14's A-G capability.

Tomcats started with adding the BRU-32 bombracks, depicted by LNS here:

This happened in the early 90s as Turkeydriver said, here is a picture from VF-14's 1992-93 cruise carrying Mk 82s:

Tomcats were now able to drop "dumb bombs", but A-A was still the priority with the secondary role as a "bomb truck". Some Tomcat squadrons started referring the the Tomcat as a "Bombcat" at this point, though the term became more widely used once LANTIRN integration started.

LANTIRN started in 1994 with testing performed by a VF-103 jet. Here is one of those demo flights (before VF-103 took over as the Jolly Rogers):

This project was completed on a shoestring budget and the cost of buying LANTIRN pods was pulled from the AMRAAM integration budget (hence AMRAAM never happened). The total cost of initial integration and testing was ~$250K (like the cost of those new black seat cushions for the F-15E ;)).

VF-103 was the first to deploy with LANTIRN and did so in 1996. From 1997-99 the remainder of the active Tomcat squadrons were upgraded to use LANTIRN, but the new MFD was not necessarily part of the LANTIRN upgrade. The MFD was slowly integrated into the fleet between 1997 and 1999. They started with the F-14B and many F-14Bs became "F-14B Upgrade" - which included a new databus, digital TARPS interface, the RIO MFD, and few other things I can't remember.

Because the Tomcat upgrades were so piecemeal, it's hard to know what specific features the LNS F-14B will have (BRU-32 and CCIP only, LANTIRN, LANTIRN with MFD...). LANTIRN is the certainly "later-mid-90s" and the MFD is more like late-90s.

We'll see what they come up with.

-Nick

Part of the confusion is that there was no true "Bombcat" upgrade, just a series of incremental changes that allowed for or improved the F-14's A-G capability.

 

Tomcats started with adding the BRU-32 bombracks, depicted by LNS here:

 

 

This happened in the early 90s as Turkeydriver said, here is a picture from VF-14's 1992-93 cruise carrying Mk 82s:

 

 

Tomcats were now able to drop "dumb bombs", but A-A was still the priority with the secondary role as a "bomb truck". Some Tomcat squadrons started referring the the Tomcat as a "Bombcat" at this point, though the term became more widely used once LANTIRN integration started.

 

LANTIRN started in 1994 with testing performed by a VF-103 jet. Here is one of those demo flights (before VF-103 took over as the Jolly Rogers):

 

 

This project was completed on a shoestring budget and the cost of buying LANTIRN pods was pulled from the AMRAAM integration budget (hence AMRAAM never happened). The total cost of initial integration and testing was ~$250K (like the cost of those new black seat cushions for the F-15E ;)).

 

VF-103 was the first to deploy with LANTIRN and did so in 1996. From 1997-99 the remainder of the active Tomcat squadrons were upgraded to use LANTIRN, but the new MFD was not necessarily part of the LANTIRN upgrade. The MFD was slowly integrated into the fleet between 1997 and 1999. They started with the F-14B and many F-14Bs became "F-14B Upgrade" - which included a new databus, digital TARPS interface, the RIO MFD, and few other things I can't remember.

 

Because the Tomcat upgrades were so piecemeal, it's hard to know what specific features the LNS F-14B will have (BRU-32 and CCIP only, LANTIRN, LANTIRN with MFD...). LANTIRN is the certainly "later-mid-90s" and the MFD is more like late-90s.

 

We'll see what they come up with.

 

-Nick

Just stated more concisely what you showed. When people say "bombcat" they think of the LGB self designating bomber. Once Desert Storm 1 was over, the writing was on the wall and A-G training started ramping up. VF-103?(correct me if I'm wrong) carried LGBs over Bosnia and were lased by F/A-18s flying with them- that was 1995. The LANTIRN upgrade was just getting tested and finished then. The idea I get from LS is that the avionics fit for the two jets will be very similar-making me think no LANTIRN at all.

Looking forward to this module, more than anything else. Of course, all the modules are awesome. The F-14 will be great!

Just stated more concisely what you showed. When people say "bombcat" they think of the LGB self designating bomber. Once Desert Storm 1 was over, the writing was on the wall and A-G training started ramping up. VF-103?(correct me if I'm wrong) carried LGBs over Bosnia and were lased by F/A-18s flying with them- that was 1995. The LANTIRN upgrade was just getting tested and finished then. The idea I get from LS is that the avionics fit for the two jets will be very similar-making me think no LANTIRN at all.

No offense, but you're doing an awful lot of assuming and then pretending that's somehow confirmed information. Exact dates have not been given. Exact avionics and sensors have not been given. In fact, LN has stated that they may model equipment that was for future use, and so any assumptions to the effect of what you've stated cannot be made with any degree of accuracy.

Just stated more concisely what you showed.

I was trying to reinforce what you wrote. :)

Didn't mean to be too repetitive...plus I can't help myself when it comes to posting pictures. ;)

-Nick

Guys, thanks for the feedback!

I was trying to reinforce what you wrote. :)

 

Didn't mean to be too repetitive...plus I can't help myself when it comes to posting pictures. ;)

 

-Nick

Your post was excellent and very informative and clear, mine was a bit muddy.