F-14 Tomcat vs MiG-23 Dogfight

On January 4, 1989, near the Libya coast, Two F-14s from the USS John F. Kennedy are alerted to a pair of Libyan MiG-23 Floggers. The MiG-23s had taken off from Al Bumbaw Airfield near Tobruk. The F-14 Tomcats locked the MiGs with their powerful AWG radar. Normally such a radar lock resulted in the MiGs retreating back to Libya, not this tme. The Tomcats were threatened by AA-7 Apex missiles and were cleared to engage the MiGs. During a lengthy six to eight minute air battle, the MiGs continued to threaten the Tomcats and finally, after several attempts to evade the MiG radar threat, the incoming pair of MiG-23s were declared hostile and the F-14 crews were cleared to engage. The crew of the lead F-14A, fired an AIM-7 Sparrow missile which did not stike its target, while the second F-14A AIM-7 missile found its target, destroying one of the MiG-23s. The lead F-14 re-engaged the remaining MiG-23 firing an AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking missile which detonated in the tailpipe of the MiG. Both MiG-23 pilots ejected safely from their destroyed jets. No future Libya MiG-23s ever engaged another U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat.

The Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a Navy long-range fighter interceptor and served the Navy well from 1974 - 2006, as a air superiority fighter jet. The F-14 Tomcat was retired by the Navy in December, 2006, and the F-22 Raptor is proudly filling it's shoes today.

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• F-14
• Tomcat
• Libya
• Soviet
• MiG
• MiG-23
• Dogfight
• Intercept
• Missile
• Attack
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• Jet
• Fighter
• Interceptor
• Military
• warfare

[homer30]

roger that, jihad is down, jihad is down, returning to base over, hehehe

[mower2008]

Iran talks a lot but I bet you by the end of the first day of battle with them we will have a kill ratio of 8:1. The Iranian pilots probably study old Soviet tactics. I say we steal those Tomcats back and bring them back into service by upgrading them. The irony would be so sweet.

[VS24AT]

@aitkensE04xXxRecon

Yes, this video is from the 1980's Carrier air wing 8 off USS Nimitz, VF-84 had the baddest colors

[VS24AT]

This vid is off USS Nimitz, early 1980's showing the Jolly Rogers of VF-84. This event you speak of also took place in August 1981 with VF-41off USS Nimitz splashing two migs while conducting a missile excersize with USS Forrestall in the Gulf of Sidra, Ghadaffy's infamous "Line of Death" water claim was rejected.

Trust me, I know

[TankNutJohn89]

@Mjbrutus1991: The MiG-21 is a great Fighter, but clearly outdated. In Serbia we have shot down newer MiG-29's without any problems. The F-16 is a great Fighter, it isn't even expensive, 25 other airforces uses them too. The F-16D costs 19 million $, compared to the 5th Generation F-22 with 160 Million $ it's really cheap. I would like if Croatia would buy our new F-16Viper!

[ShadowGhost777]

GOTTA LOVE AFV,,, what people Air Force Videos not Americas Funnest Home videos.

[Mjbrutus1991]

@TankNutJohn89

we in croatia have old mig-s 21 they are old and usless but still we are using them , USA has offered to us f-16 for free i think but again we dont have money to modernize them so now we still have stupid old mig-s.

[MiloMatrataMusic]

@homer30 dawg what do you meen, none of those rag heads have jets, they ride camels into battle

[TankNutJohn89]

@Mjbrutus1991: Yeah, absolutely! The F-14 ( and of course their pilots ) did their job very very well! Great Fighter!

[TankNutJohn89]

@mower2008: The USAF should use F-22's to down those iranian bogey's. But F-15's are enough! They can bomb & they can fight in the air, GO USAF!

[Mjbrutus1991]

Tomcat to me personaly one of the best fighter-planes ever.

[Skybolter]

@mower2008 I Agree, let take over those Tomcats away from iranian hands