Article 9945 of rec.aviation.military:
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From: jfb@usgp1.ih.att.com (Joe Baugher)
Subject: New Fighter Series--Grumman F-14 Tomcat (13 of 14)
Message-ID: <D1yMqD.Mtt@ssbunews.ih.att.com>
Summary: "Quickstrike"
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Organization: AT&T
Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 01:27:49 GMT
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The so-called "Quickstrike" was a proposed long-range strike fighter 
version of the F-14D Tomcat, designed to fill in the gap created by 
the cancellation of the A-12 as a possible A-6 Intruder replacement.  
It was envisaged as a sort of naval equivalent of the Air Force's 
McDonnell Douglas F-15E "Strike Eagle". 

The Quickstrike was basically a minimum-change F-14D Tomcat equipped 
with FLIR capability and provided with more modes for its APG-71 
radar.  These additional modes included synthetic aperture and Doppler 
Beam Sharpening for ground mapping, making the radar more similar to 
the APG-70 of the F-15E.  There would be four hardpoints under the 
central fuselage which would each carry five munitions substations, 
whereas the two wing glove pylons would have two munitions substations 
each.  Navigation and targeting pods would be provided that would be 
similar to those already carried by the F-15E.  The cockpit would have 
FLIR, HUD, and moving-map displays for the crew.  The aircraft would 
be capable of carrying and delivering laser-guided bombs, stand-off 
SLAM missiles, and Maverick air-to-surface missiles.  HARM 
antiradiation missiles and Harpoon antiship missiles could also be 
carried.  

However, the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18E/F has been selected as the 
successor to the A-6, so the "Quickstrike" derivative of the Tomcat 
has a dim future.  

Sources:

   F-14 Tomcat: Fleet Defender, Robert F. Dorr, World Airpower
   Journal, Vol 7, 1991.
 
   Grumman F-14 Tomcat Variant Briefing, World Airpower Journal,
   Vol. 19, 1994.

   Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft, Volume 1, David Donald
   and Jon Lake, AirTime, 1994.

Joe Baugher			  **************************************
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