F14A Tomcat US Navy, "Be-Devilers", USS Saratoga, 1987

Product description

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a twin-engine, variable sweep wings capable of supersonic flight.
The aircraft is crewed by a Pilot and a Radar Intercept Officer who share the tasks of navigation,
target acquisition, ECM and weapons usage. The Tomcat was operated by the United States
Navy and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force only. The name “Tomcat” is said to come from the
call-sign used by Vice Admiral Thomas Connolly which conformed to the USN tradition of giving
Grumman aircraft feline names.

VF-74 “Be-Devilers” Grumman F-14A Tomcat 162707 c/n 553 AA101 assigned to the
USS Saratoga was on a NATO training exercise over the Mediterranean on April 30, 1987.
During the exercise 162707 detected a target, USAF RF-4C 69-0381, supposedly an enemy
aggressor. The F-14 pilot heard the ok to fire, checked with his RIO who said “Yeah, go ahead
and shoot him”, thinking the pilot would make an exercise shot call instead he fired a live
Sidewinder downing the RF-4C. Miraculously everyone survived but 162707 crashed in 1993.