Show Notes
In the 1970s and 80s, the US Navy maintained a robust adversary force to provide air-to-air training for its fighter squadrons, proving it had learned from experiences in Vietnam.
Our guest was an F-14 Tomcat pilot who served as an adversary, flying the A-4 Skyhawk and the F-21 Kfir – an Israeli product based on the sleek Mirage 5, with a powerful J79 engine.
Retired Commander Bob “BB” Brauer talks about close-in combat as a Tomcat pilot, and what it was like to fight against the big fighter. He describes tricks the adversaries used and recalls his encounters with famous Tomcat pilots Hoser and Snort, as well as fighters of other services. 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.