Show Notes
After 20 years of strictly air-to-air missions, the F-14 community embraced air-to-ground, including the challenging role of Forward Air Controller – Airborne (FAC-A). This episode addresses the Tomcat’s performance in FAC-A as well as the big picture of this demanding mission.
Retired US Navy Captain Paul “PK” Averna was an F-14 pilot and instructor at Strike Weapons and Tactics School, Atlantic (SWATSLANT) who was personally involved in launching FAC-A training in the F-14 community. In addition to technical details of the mission and weapons associated with FAC-A, PK compares the Marine Corps MAWTS training program with the TOPGUN program, and discusses related missions such as Combat Search and Rescue.
PK’s comments range from writing mission notes on the canopy to combat missions over Bosnia: “NATO forces surrounded an ammo depot held by the Serbs. … The ground FAC said, ‘We need a show of force here.’ … I ended up peeling off … and thumping the ammo depot. … They gave up their guns right then.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from F-14 Tomcast
This is the 26th and final episode of the F-14 Tomcast season 1.
It is said that all good things come to an end, and so it was with the Tomcat’s service.
Coalition combat returned to Iraq in 2003 with Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Among US Navy forces were the Bounty Hunters of VF-2, which brought F-14D Tomcats to the fight. This episode goes into detail on the big fighter’s performance in a challenging threat environment.
In response to the 9/11 terror attacks, American and coalition forces commenced combat operations in Afghanistan with conventional operations commencing 7 October 2001. It was an incredible period in history, and our guest was a key participant.
The AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missile was a major part of the F-14 program: it affected the Tomcat’s design and was the weapon that gave the Tomcat its unique and most impressive capabilities.