스크랩 안녕, 톰캣. VF-31, VF-213 마지막 임무 비행 종료

[BAND OF SISTERS]

톰캣이 이제 길었던 나날을 뒤로 하고 역사 속으로 사라지게 됐네요.

CVN-71에 전개한 CVW-8 소속 VF-31 "Tomcatters"와 VF-213 "Black Lions"가 6개월 가량의 임무 비행을 종료하고 현지시각 3월 10일 Naval Air Station Oceana에 도착했습니다. 이로써, 톰캣은 마지막 임무비행을 마쳤으며, 9월 Oceana에서 마지막 비행을 마치고 미해군에서 퇴장하게 됩니다.

톰캣은 수퍼 호넷보다 유지보수에 시간당 3, 4배에 가까운 인시가 더 소요됐다고 합니다. 능력적으로는 전혀 문제가 없지만, 유지보수에 소요되는 노력 때문에 이제 이 고양이 녀석을 떠나보내야 한다고 하는군요.

오랜 기간 동안 "톰캣 = 미해군 항모항공단"이었는데, 아쉽습니다.

톰캣과 함께 VF의 역사도 잠시 종언을 고하는군요. 다음에 VF가 부활할 때는 언제가 될 지 궁금합니다.

Squadron Homecoming Marks End of Era for Tomcats

Story Number: NNS060310-05
Release Date: 3/10/2006 1:58:00 PM

By Journalist 1st Class Stefanie Holzeisen-Mullen, Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The “Tomcatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VF) 31 and the “Black Lions” of VF-213 arrived at Naval Air Station Oceana March 10, ending their six-month deployment with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 embarked on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), and closing the book on the Tomcat as an asset in the Navy’s war fighting arsenal.

VF-31 and 213’s “fly-off” marked the last operational flight of the F-14D Tomcat and the begining of the squadrons’ transition to the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. VF-213 pilots will begin F/A-18F training in April and VF-31 pilots, who are transitioning to the F/A-18E, will remain operational until September when they will fly the last Tomcat in the Navy’s inventory from Oceana.

“Everyone has worked very hard, pulled together, and with purpose, to ensure we retire this naval aviation icon appropriately and commensurate with its long and proud legacy,” said Cmdr. Richard LaBranche, VF-31 commanding officer.

The Navy decided to decommission the Tomcat and move to the Super Hornet to lighten the workload on its people after recognizing the excessive amount of maintenance needed to keep them operational.

“It takes about three to four times more maintenance man-hours per flight hour to maintain than the newer Hornet,” said LaBranche. “Retiring the extremely relevant but maintenance intensive Tomcat was a way to save the exhaustive efforts of our people and better spend their labors.”

For the pilots who fly them and the crews who keep them operational, the loss of the Tomcat hits close to home.

“I will miss flying the Tomcat very much,” said LaBranche. “Saying goodbye to the Tomcat will be like saying good-bye to an old friend, but in the best interest of our people, it must be done.”

Throughout its 32-year service to the fleet, the Tomcat has been synonymous with excellence. Since the first aircraft entered operational service in September 1974, the Grumman Aerospace Corporation-built F-14 has seen numerous upgrades and modifications to meet the demands of the Navy as the premier carrier-based multi-role strike fighter.

“It is one of the greatest fighter planes in history,” said Lt. Chris Rattigan, a pilot with VF-31. “When you think of naval aviation, you think of the Tomcat.”

The Tomcat saw its first major improvements to the initial design with the F-14B, introduced in November 1987, which incorporated new General Electric F-110 engines. In 1995, an upgrade program brought the Tomcat new digital avionics and weapon system improvements.

“The F-14 may be old, but with all the upgrades (over the years), there isn’t anything out there tougher and more capable than the Tomcat,” said Aviation Structural Mechanic 2nd Class(AW) Michael Houlihan, of VF-31.

Improving on the already technologically advanced aircraft, the F-14D, flown by VF-31 and 213, delivered in 1990, was a major upgrade with F-110 engines, new APG-71 radar system, Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ), Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) and Infrared Search and Track (IRST). Additionally, all F-14 variants were given precision strike capability using the LANTIRN targeting system, night vision compatibility, new defensive countermeasures systems and a new digital flight control system.

“The F-14 isn’t getting chased out because it can’t keep up with the current fighters of the world,” said Rattigan. “The reason is that our maintainers have to work two or three times as hard to get the jets ready to fly compared with the Hornet.”

“During this deployment we’ve flown more sorties, with the highest sortie completion rate than any other Tomcat squadron in recent history,” said LaBranche.

With a more than 99 percent sortie completion rate and a 100 percent on-target rate when ordnance was expended during this, their final deployment, VF-31 is confident they sent the Tomcat out on a high note.

“Our successes on this deployment have been huge,” said Houlihan. “We accomplished more than we had set out to do. I honestly think that VF-31 has proved that these aircraft, despite the amount of maintenance required to maintain it, have a lot of life left in them,” said Houlihan.

While deployed, VF-31 provided invaluable close air support to the troops on the ground, and together with VF-213, completed 1,163 combat sorties totaling 6,876 flight hours and dropped 9,500 pounds of ordnance.

“Our entire crew is acutely aware of the historic nature of being the very last Tomcat squadron,” said LaBranche, noting the attention VF-31 is facing as they return from this final deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

“To see the Sailors of this command perform so magnificently throughout five months of arduous combat operations has been inspirational for me,” said LaBranche. “Team ‘FELIX’ has met every challenge head-on, succeeded in every endeavor and left a legacy befitting our new slogan as ‘The Last Cat Standing.’”

For more news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.

[크로캅 빠돌이]

요즘 미국의 함재기는 공중전 보단 지상 폭격의 임무가 더 크기 때문에 전투기 톰캣보단 전폭기 호넷이 더 유용하지요...솔직히 요즘 미 해군에 해군 함대전을 걸수 있는 해군력을 가진 나라가 있습니까?...하지만 톰캣이 정말 성능하나는 최고 였는데..안타깝군요...제가 제일 좋아하는 전투기 입니다...

[태권-.,ㅡ)v]

기름먹는 하마라서..