VF-14 Tophatters enjoy success in Operation Allied Force

"The Tomcat has truly come of age. After 27 years of service to the fleet, this has been the aircraft's and the aircrew's greatest contribution."
- Cmdr. Ted Carter,
VF-14 Commanding Officer

by Lt. Jim Stanley
VF-14 PAO

Months of pre-cruise preparation and training finally paid off for the VF-14 Tophatters, who led the first Navy air strike in Operation Allied Force. During the first week of strikes over the Former Yugoslav Republic, Navy forces met with significant opposition, including numerous surface-to-air missile launches and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire, but successfully countered the threat and executed each strike.

In the weeks that followed, the battlefield picture changed and the NATO campaign moved to another level. Tophatter Forward Air Controller, Airborne (FAC(A)) aircrews took on the assigned task of striking Serbian military ground forces deployed throughout Kosovo. The experienced guidance of strike leaders, solid planning and respect for the capabilities of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia's ground forces resulted in zero damage to Navy aircraft and the smooth control of Navy and Air Force aircraft over the hostile skies of Kosovo.

Knowing that NATO had ordered bombing to begin on Serbian Forces in Kosovo in late March, no one was surprised when, just a week after leaving Norfolk, the Tophatters, with Carrier Air Wing Eight, were stationed off the Coast of Italy with live ordnance loaded onto their F-14A Tomcats.

The first Navy strike led by VF-14 aircrew took place at night. Despite the heavy concentration of AAA and numerous surface-to-air missiles launched from all around, the Tophatter aircrew, along with Tomcats from VF-41 and F/A-18s from CVW-8, fought their way into the target area and delivered their weapons with deadly accuracy. All airplanes made it safely out of the target area and returned to the waiting carrier late that evening.

This was followed by a second strike that same night. The aircrews who were on that first strike did not sleep until they heard from their fellow squadron mates that the second strike was also a success. Tophatter aircrew stayed busy from early morning until late in the evening planning subsequent strikes against fixed targets of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia's command and control structure.

The success of those strikes was a result of careful planning by all the Navy strike leaders. They used up-to-date intelligence reports in order to plan an efficient strike of their assigned targets, while at the same time minimizing the danger to Navy aircrew.

The Tomcat Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting, Infrared at Night (LANTIRN) pod was the critical asset most called upon for those missions. Capable of identifying targets from considerable distances, the LANTIRN pod was used to find targets in daytime and at night and guide laser guided bombs to impact with incredible accuracy.

As Navy strikes continued, the need to locate and target Serbian military forces became apparent. FAC(A) aircrews from VF-14 and VF-41 were sent over Kosovo to do the job, under the protective watch of the EA-6B Prowler jets from VAQ-141.

Tophatter F-14s routinely managed the battlespace while they located hostile ground targets. Once they found a target, they called upon sections of F-14 Tomcats or F/A-18 Hornets from the air wing, or Air Force aircraft such as A-10 Thunderbolts and F-16 Falcons, to deliver their weapons.

The ability of the Tomcat FAC(A) aircrews to pass targeting information to other aircraft quickly, and to flow those aircraft into a target area efficiently was the result of many hours of pre-flight planning and airborne flexibility. The value of a Tomcat FAC(A) quickly became evident against the rapidly advancing Serbian forces in Kosovo.

"The Tomcat has truly come of age," said VF-14 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Ted Carter. "After 27 years of service to the fleet, this has been the aircraft's and the aircrew's greatest contribution. Our success in Operation Allied Force was a total team effort that has proven the value of a two-seat cockpit."

Tophatter F-14 Tomcats expended over 395,000 pounds of ordnance on various targets in support of Operation Allied Force. Carter added, "Our tireless ordnancemen loaded over 800,000 pounds of ordnance in two months in VF-14 alone. Combined with an outstanding maintenance effort, the work of our troops was most impressive."

Tophatter aircrews led the air wing in strike missions as airborne forward air controllers. By using the capabilities of their state-of-the-art LANTIRN pod to the fullest in this conflict, the Tophatters of VF-14 helped to prove that the F-14 Tomcat is one of the most accurate and lethal aircraft in the air-to-ground arena.