How many of its 80 Tomcats did Iran still have?

Short answer

Not 80: Iran began the war with 76 F-14 Tomcats and had lost six in combat. Of those, only 10 to 15 were considered operational, split between the Isfahan and Shiraz bases. The interceptor's operational availability was 40%. In the 1970s, Iran's air force was the only one besides the US Navy equipped with the F-14.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How many of its 80 Tomcats did Iran still have?

F-14A Tomcat over Iraq during Southern Watch

A unique F-14 customer

By the late 1970s, the Imperial Iranian Air Force had become the only military force, besides the United States Navy, equipped with the F-14 Tomcat. After the 1979 revolution, some of those F-14s were grounded due to a lack of necessary spare parts, a consequence of the US arms embargo, and because of damage the aircraft suffered during the 1980 Iraqi invasion.

Between 10 and 15 operational

Iran began the war with 76 F-14 Tomcats and had lost six in combat. Only between 10 and 15 were considered operational, split between the air bases at Isfahan and Shiraz. The operational availability rate of this complex interceptor was barely 40%.

Sidelined pilots and political control

Purges and forced retirements stemming from the 1979 revolution cut the service's personnel in half between February 1979 and July 1980. Many Iranian F-14 pilots were jailed or grounded over doubts about their loyalty to the new regime. Political leaders controlled the Air Force by assigning "political advisers" to air bases, bribing key officers with consumer goods, and playing on the rivalry between officers and technicians.