Deep Intel on the Smugglers Who Keep Iran's F-14s Flying

[@WardCarroll]

Grab Atlas VPN for just $1.83/mo + 3 months extra before the BIG DEAL deal expires here: get.atlasvpn.com/WardCarroll 👍🏻

[@jonslg240]

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, AeroSpace Logistics is just a name, it was actually a furniture business." 😂 That's the funniest part of this whole story lol

[@stoic521]

Big "Lord of War" vibes with that one. All those pipelines left open, it's almost as if that was by design.

[@28ebdh3udnav]

You going to make a video on how Iran obtains western made equipment for their drones?

[@stanley1554]

Shut up with your junk atlas VPN. I have no respect for people that promote products they've never even tried.

[@shadowsanddust2]

I get it.. the ultruism of America is top notch. I just think the last 20 years is not the normal high speed fu?*ery

[@Christoff1996]

The F-14s were not just picked because of that famous fly off with the F-15 but because Iran was having significant problems with radar coverage as most of their ground based radar systems were old American systems that didn’t work due to the heat and age and Iran’s mountainous terrain also caused large gaps in coverage. A study launched in the early 70’s concluded a flying radar station was far more effective and would be helpful if this radar station could defend itself, leading to only the Tomcat as the best aircraft for this task. The Shah himself had also been granted secret access to early blueprints of the Tomcat and when he heard the F-14 program was experiencing financial difficulties he encouraged Iranian banks to provide loans to Grumman to help allow the F-14 program to reach production status. It’s also important to mention that although the Iranians were working hard to acquire F-14 and Aim-54 parts from the black market it was also worth mentioning how far their efforts went to produce their own parts which was so shocking to the Americans that a secret operation called “Night Harvest” was launched by the CIA to convince 3 F-4Es and an F-14A to defect from Iran and have the aircraft flown to Saudi Arabia for a thorough inspection and they found a number of components that were made in Iran, confirming the Iranian aircraft industry had advanced significantly, so much so that in 1996 the began full aircraft overhauls and its why to this day their F-14s still fly and even with the old ex US Navy aircraft scrapped its made no difference to the Operational capabilities of the Iranian Tomcats. Hoping one day I get to write a book on the F-14 in Iranian service as I find the stories of the Persian cats so utterly fascinating.

[@jurajkolnik7335]

What a great comment. Thanks man :)

[@stonecoldmunchin]

Write the book and i will buy it! Would love to hear more about the Persian cats!

[@WardCarroll]

Write. That. Book.

[@Eagle127]

The U.S. Navy F-14 crew put up such a stunning performance that the Shah promptly placed an order for the Tomcat.What they didn't know about the F-14 was that it was a POS. Fighters are worthless if they can't be kept airborne .

[@dayeeoliver]

There's a Cooper guy (can't remember his first name) from Austria that also wrote a book about Iranian Tomcats

[@chrissakal532]

The craziness doesn't exist with just Tomcat parts. I work at the depot that handles the USAF heavies and a case in point is the KC-135 and E3 pilot and copilot sliding windows. The old glass panels are REQUIRED to be struck in the center with a hammer, completely crazing them. The reason: back in the day, the old panels were auctioned off by DRMO, bought by an outside source, then resold to the government as new! When it was finally figured out, the decision was made to render them completely useless before disposing of them.

[@skyhawk_4526]

Government incompetence at its finest. You'd think new parts would be ordered straight from Boeing. After all, aren't the KC-135 and E-3 (B707) cockpit windows basically (if not exactly) the same as the windows used to this day on the B737 series? If I'm not mistaken the B707, B727 and B737, all share the same cockpit windows and fuselage sections.

[@choppertimberland139]

​@@skyhawk_4526 Most of the suppliers to Boeing and the government are smaller companies that make specific parts

[@dougearnest7590]

Let me guess. The government never went after the supplier because they didn't want to creat any ill will?

[@h8GW]

@@choppertimberland139 You putting the idea that there are non-OEM aircraft parts being sold like aftermarket car parts from cheaper repair shops is very discouraging to my attempts to become a pilot.

[@ordenmanvrn7685]

@@h8GW Just go civilian then, it's stricter there. The military always f up more and have more possibilities to pressure regulators and sweep shite under the rug.

[@Skyhawks1979]

In 2008, I was the commander of the Naval Air Technical Data and Engineering Service Command in North Island. This command holds all of the technical publications on DON utilized aircraft way back into the late 1940's. The library is pretty incredible. Hearing about some of the attempts to export Tomcat parts I inquired on the status of all of the Tomcat technical publications that we held. To my surprise they were still up in the online system and almost anyone with a valid reason could ask permission to access them. I had them taken down and placed behind a firewall so they could no longer be accessed. I was surprised that they had been accessible for so long.

[@walter2990]

Thank you for taking that initiative, and for your selfless service to help protect us civilians.

[@markbergthold6181]

Left hand/right hand seldom talk. Reminds me of my dad’s ship USS Sierra - with decom and salvage scheduled, ship got a paint job.

[@staymad7206]

@@walter2990 why did the usa let saudis commit 9/11 and then go invade iraq??? Also why did the USA support ISIS? scared of iran

[@RonJohn63]

The people "in charge" of those tech pubs weren't thinking about Iran.

[@Britcarjunkie]

I think it's safe to say that when Iran bought the planes, they got the books to go with them.

[@charlesberlemann8831]

In 1979 I was assigned to the A-6/EA6B functional wing at Whidbey. I found a EA6B fuel management panel in NEW condition at the local base disposal office. We had several EA6Bs that were down for parts, lacking this very part. A quick call to our Supply desk provided assurance that the part number for this item was correct for the aircraft which were down for parts. The disposal clerk advised me that the part had reached the stage where it had to be included in the next auction. Over his loud complaints, I hand wrote him a receipt, and took the panel back to the office so it could be issued. By the time I reached the Wing office the SUPO himself was on the phone to the Wing Maintenance Officer demanding the I be placed on report. Long story short: the report ended up being a glowing remark in my next EVAL for saving the Navy money and placing an EA6B back in flight status.

[@WardCarroll]

Awesome story, Chuck. Thanks.

[@frankrizzo1433]

How dare you save the Government money! FJB!

[@jeffholloway7974]

@@frankrizzo1433 I have done Army Guard, Fed civil service and state civil service and have learned that politicking skills are more important than competence.

[@badlt5897]

I thought this page was idiot proof. I guess not.

[@echohunter4199]

Sounds about right, so many egos can be easily bruised by people who hate anything that slightly upsets their work flow. Likely he was contacted by lazy civilian employees that didn’t want to go through the effort needed to remove the parts since we both know how they can be. I’m a retired Army Infantry Senior NCO and I did similar things now and then that was in the best interests of my men and our mission which would later haunt me on my annual evaluation like you mentioned but, I slept well at night knowing I did the right thing and saved a lot of lives because of it and frankly, my bosses knew I made the choice they couldn’t politically do so I had to fall on my sword regardless. Having a vehicle that wasn’t fully mission capable is something we never want to see so I’m proud of you for having the courage to do what had to be done.

[@lawrencelaird2919]

I worked for Boeing in the Spare parts warehouse. In about 1990 I was picking ‘scrap’ parts for disposal. In the order note line it said “Scrap all parts- Iranian Air Force”. At the time this really brought a smile, I kept a copy of the work order in my momentous until retirement. Made me all warm and fuzzy 🇺🇸

[@SMGJohn]

You shipped it all to Iran? May Allah be with you

[@lawrencelaird2919]

We threw the parts in the scrap bin. Small stuff as I recall. I t gets sorted and then melted

[@vxe6vxe6]

You should have all of your friends and co-workers collect all of their cat and dog shit and shipped that to Iran.

[@staymad7206]

@@vxe6vxe6 you Americans are too stupid to even find Iran on a map.

[@delasantos]

@@The_ZeroLine ahahahahaha

[@dennythomas8887]

In 1976 I was a Navy E-2 going to AMH "A" school in Millington Tn. There were quite a few Iranian AF technicians going to school there at the same time. Unlike us who only went to a single rate training environment like AMH, AD, AE, ect these guys were there to go to every single rate (training class) and return to Iran as a "master technician" on the F-14. I got to know a few of them and I can say they were really nice people. They told me that in order to be accepted into the F-14 training pipeline (only something like 1 in 100 got in) they had to sign a 30 year contract with the IAF and if they failed out of school or failed to live up to the 30 year commitment to the IAF the Iranian government would seize everything their family owned in Iran. Talk about being under pressure, I couldn't even imagine what that was like for them. When the Shah was overthrown (i was already in the fleet by this time) they were ordered home by the new Iranian regime and from what I've been told things didn't go well for them when they got back.

[@stevewilke8524]

I got to NAS Memphis in September of '74 and left in October '75, went thru AFUN-P, BE&E and AFTA. I was surprised to see so many Iranian officers and enlisted on base!

[@gvidvr]

I was there (Millington) in 1979 and they were still there, they had quarters by the east gate. Later some of contracts worked with my first squadron (VR-24) in Sigonella,Sicily, after they had to leave Iran. They said they loved working and living there, big money made.

[@locknload4691]

Back in the 1970s when I was military brat, I recall seeing quite few Iranian student pilots, usually at the BX/Commissary every time I frequented the local Air Force base in my hometown. Those student pilots were attending Undergraduate Pilot Training course.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

FWIW: I went through AD "A" school there in 1983. I left the USN in 1986 and joined the USCG, becoming an AD there as well about two years later...👍 ALSO FWIW: I managed to visit Millington back in 1998. I was attending C-130 Loadmaster School at Little Rock AFB at the time. The barracks building I stayed in, _"S-405"_ IIRC, along with several others had been or were being demolished. Partially due to *_Asbestos._* {Oops....}

[@macthemec]

Fellow vet here from 🇨🇦 love to hear these stories brother

[@anthonydunn5150]

Hello Ward , in the early 00s , I was employed by the DOD at NAS North Island and there was a small bone yard on the base with a small number of F-14's I remember those airframes being partly stripped, sitting there and subsequently being destroyed, I understood why this had to be done, but it did bring a tear or two from my eyes, being not just a member of U.S.Naval Aviation, but a fan and historian of it as well. Thank you once again for your efforts.

[@olentangy74]

We had such a scrapyard in Norfolk for the Tomcats, and I was taken there one on occasion to strip some parts off the environmental system for an F-14 we were working on.

[@mikesmith-wk7vy]

Look at that aerial view of the big boneyard took recently by a tourist flying over , you can still see clearly they have twin tail swept wing planes there only 1 possibility since the f111 is single tail . They are still keeping tomcats for some reason

[@30AndHatingIt]

Why did it need to be done if the aircraft was “obsolete”? Seriously… one of these things is not like the other. Either the aircraft was still effective and prematurely retired thanks to one of the most evil men who ever lived (Cheney), or we shouldn’t care if Iran keeps them flying because they no longer pose a threat.

[@Zoomie932]

"I'm not just a dog, I am a US Navy Airedale" Skid marks in the sky.....

[@lougarcia1485]

North island!!❤️

[@idigbebop]

The day Grumman Bethpage ate Iranian Pistachio nuts: during the IAF contract, spares and refurb parts were being shipped between Isfahan and the Grumman Bethpage ops. Often the large heavily protected fiberglass component containers were returned some with components, some empty. One such shipment had four large containers without documentation. These were often empty for recycle. However each of these weighed over two hundred pounds and stacked on pallets. Upon opening one a note read: "Send to Breakroom c/o IAF" from your teammates at Grumman Isfahan. Inside and filled to the lid in all four containers were the largest white pistachio nuts I've ever seen. They were delivered to the various F-14 plants around Bethpage and Calverton. "The Grumman Family" is a true legend.

[@cameronpond5665]

Not sure if anyone is going to get this far down in the comments to read this but wanted to contribute something to this fascinating story. The TF-30 was actually a low cost DoD program to offer to General Dynamics a COTs solution to an engine requirement for the F-111. The TF-30 was a civilian JT-8(D) with different fuel controls and other apparatus to control the convergent/divergent nozzles etc that were eventually fit to the basic engine to become the power plant for the F-14. The JT-8 had many common parts to the TF-30 and was one of the most prolific engines ever as it was used extensively in the civilian airliners of the time. (727,737,DC9, re-engined 707s, etc.) Iran airlines even operated many of these aircraft domestically and internationally making the acquisition of parts, depending on what was needed, often an easy endeavor.

[@unekualconstruction1933]

Hate that Iran did this, but I also love how ingenious minds work. I mean, there will always be workarounds to red tape and embargoes. You just have to be creative. 💪🏻🇺🇸🎇

[@tonk4967]

To add more context to your post, the JT8D was a derivative of the J-52 which powered the A-4 Skyhawk and the A-6 Intruder. The J-52 was designed to power the Hound Dog missile, which was a 1st generation nuclear capable cruise missile carried by the B-52. I believe the Hound Dog was basically unguided; it would fly a pre-set heading and the warhead would detonate after the pre-set time had expired. The J-52 was a turbojet, and the 1st stage of the compressor was modified to make it a low bypass turbofan, creating the JT8D, which as you mentioned powered the 727, 737-200, DC9, and the MD80 series.

[@robertmaybeth3434]

...well this kind of reminds me of the Steve Martin plumber joke but still, what a memory you have !

[@josephastier7421]

@@tonk4967 Great, we actually fielded a nuclear V-1 buzz bomb.

[@Mongooseonthaloose]

Amazing video, my father, a mechanical engineer that worked heavily on Defence dept contracts in both Canada and the US… He told me a story about receiving phone calls and being approached by “people” inquiring about a “certain aircraft parts” and their availability. Him being a smart guy he figured out what they wanted and who they were and shut the inquiries down and reported the incident to authorities. It was more common than most think at that time to be approached like that as the Iranians were desperate with the dragging on of the Iran Iraq war.

[@michaeldavenport5034]

A friend and former coworker's father worked directly for the Shah of Iran. I did not know this until they were officially allowed to talk about this many years later. Like the back stories Ward has, they also had many living in Iran as Americans before and during the over throw of the Shah.

[@michaelharper4989]

My father-in-law's business went belly up when Iran canceled contracts. Back in the early days of the internets, I met with a man in Palo Alto who had met the Shah and was in his office when the Shah placed an advisor under house arrest for objecting to the building of a dam in a certain place. One can have interesting conversations with folks in Palo Alto. Us serfs can have friends who are billionaires.

[@michaeldavenport5034]

@@comodice905 he wrote a book. Of course the U.S. Government wasn't and still isn't happy about it. Had to wait many years because of classified information that had to be declassified. The Government finally told him it was okay to talk about his times there. Name of boom is "Zehbel: The Clever One Mercenary To The Shah." Written by Michael Roman. I am friends and worked with one of his kids. I never knew they grew up, lived in Iran and went to school there. Then one day they said they had to go to Houston for their high school reunion. I said, "I didn't know you grew up and graduated high school in Houston?" Their reply back was, "I didn't. It's our Iranian High School reunion." They hold one every year in different parts of the country. And yes, they know quite a number of the Iranian hostages and still stay in contact with them. Lots of back stories with them also.

[@michaeldavenport5034]

@@comodice905 there's your hero who isn't an internet hero. And yeah, the story is true. Thanks for embarrassing yourself.

[@michaeldavenport5034]

@@comodice905 well don't reply to someone's comment without having facts. Hopefully you learned a lesson.

[@michaeldavenport5034]

@@gregtaylor6146 what you wrote makes zero sense. The video is about the black market and reverse engineering.

[@RickBeato]

Crazy story! Thanks Ward!!

[@WardCarroll]

Thanks for watching, Rick!

[@gonzoengineering4894]

Oh wow wasn't expecting to find you here

[@tlevans62]

Another interesting thing to note is that both Pakistani and Iranian groups were active in Australia and a couple of them were caught by ASIO in the mid 1990s trying to get parts for the TF-30 engines used in the RAAF F-111s. It appeared that the Iranian group was part of an actual spy network, but the Pakistanis were more involved in arms dealing, since they also tried to get other military equipment unrelated to Iranian requirements. We represented Bogan Aerotech in Australasia then and one Pakistani group had approached us trying to get parts for the HUEY-II, particularly the hot end engine components to convert the T53-13B into the 703 version used in the AH-1F Cobra. The head of the Group was actually a Medical Doctor living in Australia, but he was found to have several storage lockers in Melbourne containing all sorts of military equipment he managed to collect and had them crated up and labeled as either Toyota truck parts or used Rotax parts for Diamond GA aircraft to be sent to an ultralight Club in Pakistan.

[@frankryan2505]

"Bogan Aerotech in Australasia" You couldn't make that shit up ..

[@tlevans62]

@@frankryan2505 no Kidding, it was named after a guy in Texas, Frank Bogan, without the knowledge of what it meant in Oz. We changed the local name to "Aerotech Australiasia"...lol

[@michaeltownsend429]

LOL. That’s hilarious 😂

[@mainepants]

@@frankryan2505 Bogan is as Australian as thongs and XXXX on a hot day.

[@locknload4691]

I was wondering if the Iranians illegally acquired spares from the RAAF. My last USAF duty station in 1990s was home to all of the F/EF-111s squadrons in the AF. The F-111D &E models were retired around 1994/5, F-111F was a year or so later and finally, the EF's were transferred to AMARC in 1998 . I can recall packaging up test equipment and spares to be shipped to the RAAF. BTW, the TF-30 was one greasy azz pig😉

[@JHillNC]

The saturation of detailed facts compressed into less than 20 minutes is an amazing feat, Mooch. Thank you for uploading this into my brain!

[@AWDTurboPOWAH]

Whoa! What a great episode this was -- really had my attention from beginning to end, as this is something I've always wondered about the Iranian F14s. 👏 Terrific work with the channel Ward, it just keeps getting better!

[@johnhenderson3646]

Most concise and complete summary and explanation of this matter I've heard. Excellent work 'Mooch'!

[@MrWolfriver]

Excellent video, Ward. In the early 90s I worked with that Naval intel officer in San Francisco before this went down. We became good friends and his after work stories in the downtown bars provided hours of entertainment. It wasn't until years later when I asked a mutual friend how he was that I heard about his recruitment by Duranni and investigations that ensued. Duranni was living in Rosarito Beach and was also doing business with a bunch of Bulgarians and headed up their mock chamber of commerce out of LA if I remember correctly. I always remember my friend as a man of the highest ethics but also as one that grabbed at several strange opportunities to make ends meet in post retirement from the Navy. In a short call with him prior to starting his sentence, he confessed that he was lied to the entire time, had convinced himself that he was doing nothing wrong but that, in the end, he should have known better. Thank you for filling in the gaps of the other schemes the Iranians had to keep this fleet airborne. I never knew any of the other stories. Keep up the incredible work and interviews!

[@actionjksn]

He didn't convince himself of shit, other than he thought he could make a lot of money and get away with it, he knew that stuff was going to Iranian fighter jets and that's why it was so lucrative.

[@RoxyStellar]

".. in a short call with him prior to starting his sentence .." 📞😹💦

[@needleonthevinyl]

I'm glad you brought up the stripped out F14s that were found out in a field. I remember seeing that years ago and it really makes the imagination run wild.

[@tehpw7574]

and goes to show just how large the % of unpatriotic 'Americans' exist still in our mist...

[@olentangy74]

In the early 90’s I was employed at the Naval Air Rework Facility in Norfolk Va, where overhaul of the F-14 airframe and power plant was done, and I worked on both. While working on the TF-30, there were 3 arrests of individuals working in power plant division, one of whom I knew personally. They were busted in a sting operation while attempting to sell TF30 engine components to an undercover agent. We were blown away that such a thing was happening among people we knew, and that the guy we worked with would be involved in something so nefarious. But for me it truly illustrated how intricate the Iranian network of parts smuggling was.

[@WardCarroll]

Thanks for the comment.

[@gregtaylor6146]

EVERYONE gotta price.

[@brianhaygood183]

I am not sure it is right to call it "intricate" so much as "well funded.". It isn't exactly complicated to find employees who have context with the machine, and offering millions is going to work pretty predictably, unfortunately.

[@olechristianhenne6583]

That's just going to show you that you Americans are stupid selling those f14s was the biggest mistake you ever did​@@WardCarroll

[@billvanheulen6700]

Thanks!

[@MikePasqqsaPekiM]

This is such a fantastic channel for detailed and concise military aviation trivia. So glad I found this channel. Thank you, Mooch!

[@WardCarroll]

Thanks for watching!

[@MikePasqqsaPekiM]

@@WardCarroll you’re seriously one of the best aviation channels on KZbin. Love seeing someone with experience weighing in, but also having the humility and good sense to invite other experts on the channel as well. Truly illuminating and edifying. Every episode teaches me something new, or gives me insight into a career that I wanted as a kid, but just never got to experience.

[@WardCarroll]

@@MikePasqqsaPekiM Thanks much!

[@sladewilson2379]

Mate, bloody outstanding job !

[@WardCarroll]

Thanks for the support, Slade Wilson!

[@bukstopshere]

Great story Ward! I believe one of the seized Tomcats was here in El Centro from the Veterans Memorial Park at Imperial Valley College. It had Grim Reaper livery and had been secured with assistance by Capt. Mike Boston, former CO of NAF El Centro, and my dad, CWO4 Don Vaughn. Both were retired at the time. My dad was very upset the Tomcat had been seized as it was a great centerpiece to the park. 👍

[@PrograError]

wait... did every Tomcat "statues" got scrap'd meta? I know most museum cats are striped to hell and back and essentially gutted.

[@bobd1805]

Great video. The resourcefulness of the Iranians amaze me. Most countries would have thrown up their hands and relegated their F-14 program the the scrapyard. In 1991 I used to work for a military subcontractor who was supplying electronics to the US Army and Navy. We purposely made our documentation densely arcane to confuse any competitors if they try to decipher our parts system. It worked so well we confused ourselves! Good job by a naval aviator. My dad flew Hellcats off a carrier at night in the South Pacific during WWII.

[@dwaynemcallister7231]

Those Tomcat's, amazing aircraft and it reminds me of the Cuban's fixing the old American car's but a lot more complex.

[@actionjksn]

I rode in several of those cars and many of them have diesel engines, some had Hyundai engines and even Mercedes engines. All of them are used as taxis.

[@JoshuaC923]

Gotta respect those Iranian engineers and technicians for keeping them flying

[@RoxyStellar]

"..in order to be accepted into the F-14 training pipeline (only something like 1 in 100 got in) they had to sign a 30 year contract with the IAF and if they failed out of school or failed to live up to the 30 year commitment to the IAF the Iranian government would seize everything their family owned in Iran..." : @dennythomas8887 so ..industriously incentivised not just frugal sentimentality 'spose

[@markwilson9196]

Cool piece of history and my family was fortunate to be a part of it. My late father being a Grumman Tech Rep for the F14, was relocated to Las Vegas for the shootout between the F14 and F15. We were even slated to relocate to Tehran after, but weeks before leaving the U.S. the Shaw was overthrown. Grumman even gave us a class to prepare for the different culture, I was relieved somehow that we didn't go.

[@castlers5075]

I'm so glad to have recently discovered your channel and get the honor of hearing about your accounts and other military stories. I picked up all three of your books from the Naval Institute and I plan on reading them all. Thank you very much.

[@sonnyvictor3584]

One of the significant pilots was Jalil Zandi Tomcat pilot with 11 hits

[@jamesocker5235]

Just shows how far ahead the Tomcat was and still is

[@DefinitelyNotEmma]

The "still is" is highly debatable. Especially considering that the latest 4th generation jets are like 5th Gens by comparison.

[@disconductorder]

The 1st microprocessor was in it, since it was classified the creator never got credit

[@flyingcactus1953]

😂 all 5 and 4.5 gen aircraft now will eat the Tomcat alive

[@BobHannent]

The Iranian dependence on an ancient jet doesn't demonstrate how far ahead it still is. It just says they couldn't afford, or couldn't get, anything newer. Although it's been announced this week that Iran is buying a fleet of Su-35 from Russia, so there's that.

[@WayneKitching]

​@@DefinitelyNotEmma I guess they only need to be ahead of their adversaries.

[@timsparks7049]

Another tight, concise presentation on the Big Tomcat! Well done Mooch! Sparky

[@TheBvirgilio86]

Apparently I watched 5 random videos from this channel over the last 2 years but didn't follow. After this one it's got to be a quick subscribe. Great content.

[@johngalt3568]

I always wondered how the Iranians kept F-14’s in the air. Great intel and a well done rundown. Thanks Navy.

[@hp2073]

stupid man, US government himself sells the spare parts and arrest those people to first draw a loyal picture of himself and second to remove the competitors😂

[@justinpaul3110]

Fascinating. The performance of the F-14 in the war with Iraq is something I don't regularly see. It's interesting to find out how devastating it was.

[@mankihonda983]

The real Maverick was Persian. Funny world we live in.

[@supa3ek]

Well they were up against mig 21s.......... Not really a match !!!!

[@tungteo1190]

Thanks

[@xyjoshxy]

One thing I'll give credit to the Iranians is that they kept the Tomcats operational. The F14 is my all time favorite aircraft

[@reason6835]

Coolest fighter jet ever. I wish someone would start a conservation project and recover at least one working Tomcat from Iran.

[@pedrorodriguez2914]

Just like Cuba with vintage cars.😎🌴

[@frenchonion4595]

It's the twin tail and twin large engines for me it just looks good. It's also why i like the Russian SU jet's especially with that blue camo pattern

[@spinningsquare1325]

@@frenchonion4595 on the other hand me a flanker and mig fan thinks the tomcat is the nicest looking american made fighter

[@access_denied1082]

Its not operational at all , no more

[@carlhendricks349]

That was great information. It’s amazing what goes on in this world.

[@kandd2591]

i remember near a museum one time they had an f-14 on the grass just sitting there, yes it was gutted but it didnt have anything saying not to get near it no rocks, frence or anything so i was poking around it for a while, and its another example of mine of how much bigger things are in person, no one ever stopped me from poking around it or asked questions maybe because i was young but that moment is what really made me love the f-14 tomcat

[@tommycolton4971]

I live in tucson az, and I remember a story from the early 90s were someone was sneaking Into the airplane grave yard at the airforce base and stealing parts from f-14s and were selling them to iran

[@ronjon7942]

This is good. Answers a lot of questions I’ve always had.

[@drewm4914]

If I remember correctly, a few years ago, there was a warehouse found on a Naval Air Station that had a whole bunch of Tomcat parts that Naval leadership had no idea existed.

[@trevorn9381]

There is all kinds of stuff in DOD warehouses that nobody has any idea exists. My company has a contract to auction surplus for DRMO. Back in 2019 we got a large electric motor in a crate from Pearl Harbor marked "BB 48". It was a spare part for the USS West Virginia that was scrapped in 1959. I guess it had been sitting forgotten in a warehouse for 60 years. I heard that someone found a Willys MB still in the crate in a warehouse.

[@no1reallycaresabout2]

Fascinating story, plus interesting to hear it from someone who has flown the aircraft in question.

[@DefinitelyNotEmma]

It's really astonishing how extensive such networks can be. Must be a nightmare to manage on a logistical level. And also, that sponsorship transition at the beginning was super smooth xD I like how it say "6 replies" but only 2 are visible lol

[@DefinitelyNotEmma]

@@drewpooters62 Now I know how the Houthis were able to shoot down a couple Saudi F-15s xD

[@_c_y_p_3]

@@drewpooters62 you must be a Ru Bot?? US is diverting weapons TO Ukraine which were shipped FROM Iran TO Houthi Rebels!

[@dougerrohmer]

@@drewpooters62 I'm not gonna track that story because it's hard, but be advised the orcs love to spread misinformation that everything that goes to Ukraine gets sold on by crook oligarchs. So for your own peace of mind, be sure that your sources of this sort of news isn't RT, Fox or Glavset.

[@blacklight5146]

@@drewpooters62 I remember there being a report a few months in that a bunch of biker gangs (From Finland of all places afaik) got their hands on the goods despite them being "reported" being used on the frontline. Absolute fucking kek On a side note, you'd think that we'd see the Chinese watering at the mouth at the prospect of nicking some tech from the front but then you remember the contractors from the US selling them experimental info, training planes and a whole plethora of "classified tech"

[@williemcdowell6319]

I'm just happy to see the old Tomcat still in action by far one of my favorite planes

[@xiaoka]

Props to the Reverse Engineers too!

[@callenclarke371]

This right here is what keeps me glued to this channel. Absolutely stunning info. Well done Ward. I can think of so many ideas for film scripts or novels.

[@ARKavli]

That was incredibly interesting! I was an AT2 at VX-4 / VX-9 in the 90s, and CDI on A and D models. Our Grumman tech rep told us a bit bout the Iranian planes and the sabotage done to the parts they received. Given how hard it was to keep our birds in the air sometimes, I was always wondered how they did it.

[@andrewsteele7663]

WOW, I stumbled across your channel and this episode and found it really interesting, Thanks

[@GraemePayne1967Marine]

When the Shah was overthrown, I was in a USAF tech school in Biloxi MS. There were also several Iranian AF students in the the class. They were naturally in a very difficult position ... they completed the course, but I have no idea what happened to them. I imagine they had few choices: go back & be imprisoned of worse, or apply to stay in the US and give up any chance of ever seeing their families & friends again.

[@mayer14474]

Imagine what Iran would look like today if Shah had never been overthrown

[@givemelibertyorgivemedeath001]

@@mayer14474 Something like Jordan. A weak and a vassal state to Israel and the US.

[@baranbeytemur5451]

@@mayer14474 he would be overthrown no matter what either by islamists or by communist those were the main two factions if he was smart he would step down himself and maybe iran would have some chance at democracy

[@mayer14474]

@@baranbeytemur5451 democracy can work only when the people are ready for democracy. Back then, the vast majority of Iranians, unlike now, had almost zero understanding of liberal democracy. I can see that generation of Iranians, as conservative and religious as they were, were very likely to elect a Mullah and change the system to a theocracy. I believe he should have stayed in power and crushed the leftist and islamists, but Shah was too soft to do that. We didn't deserve him. We let him down, and you can see how shitty our country is right now.

[@adamg5780]

​@@mayer14474 If he was popular he would not have been overthrown. The era of monarchy in Iran is over. Whatever government succeeds the Islamic Republic, it won't be Pahlavi dynasty.

[@SEEININFRARED]

As much as I love to hear about my favorite fighter jet of all time, Ward. I love hearing about the deprivation of crucial parts to Iran for the F-14, even more. I'm still loving the channel too. I watch almost every day. Cheers my friend.

[@Ensign_Cthulhu]

Whatever you think of Iran, their determination to keep the Tomcat flying and the achievements of the Iranian Tomcat pilots deserve respect. There's a part of me that says "Let 'em have their damn parts; they've earned them."

[@stevecovaleski6315]

Yeah I was feeling that as well

[@DefinitelyNotEmma]

It's not like they would be threat to the USAF anyway. But now it's too late anyway as they are scheduled for retirement. It's very symbolic actually, because it signifies the end of US made equipment in Iran and the shift towards eastern models.

[@jameshisself9324]

At the level of the squadron, yes. But they work for a fiercely anti-American regime who has and would again attack American forces. Not someone we can give anything to for any price.

[@DefinitelyNotEmma]

@@jameshisself9324 In every armed encounter between the two, the US was the one to attack first, like during the Iran-Iraq war. Furthermore the US supports and supplies the most aggressive nation in the region and the only one with nuclear weapons, Isn'treal. So in all fairness, Iran isn't really the aggressor here. Especially when the US supports attacks on Iranian territory.

[@jameshisself9324]

@@DefinitelyNotEmma That is selective history sir. You also forgot the US Embassy in Tehran.

[@ryanbaker7404]

Awesome story, Ward. I'm a bicentennial baby, so I'm old enough to recall some of these lovely geopolitics. Stories like this need to be retold, as they are a stark reminder that if you wait long enough, your friend can become your enemy, and if you live long enough, your friend again LOL. Also, having grown up on Top Gun and GI Joe (the Hasbro cartoon), every boy my age had Tomcat posters and as many toys as we could con our parents out of!

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

It's a reminder that when you stab your friend in the back in the '50s they'll still remember your misdeed decades later.

[@dan3162]

Outstanding briefing, can’t imagine how many military parts end up in China, Russia and Iran from US inventories

[@mrbaab5932]

Russia and China have no need for USA spare parts.

[@z50com]

I bought a F-14 compass rose calibration kit from Gov. Liquidation back in the early to mid 2000's, 6 months later the DOD wanted to know what I did with it and demanded it's return. The kit weighted over 200 lbs and filled a foot locker.

[@aerospaceguy4639]

Sick story!

[@phantom4E2]

15:58 honestly im glad iran put so much effort in flying the f14, great to see one of my top 3 favorites still in action

[@zefdin101]

$800k for a bolt, a pin and a spacer … did they sell the poor bastard the $5k hammer too before they arrested him? Geez.

[@northerncaptain855]

Back in the early 70’s while attending an officer training college,a large contingent of young Iranians were also students, most of whom were already commissioned officers in he Shah’s military, at least one a jet pilot. The ones I knew were ok guys. I’ve often wondered how well they survived the Iranian Revolution.

[@PrograError]

probably refugees or like the pilots of the now defunct-AAF living in various countries like US or just a "hostage" there

[@jitterball]

There chances are that majority of them were not ideological, at all. I had a neighbor who had been trained in the US, he was a rather honorable person, not a fanatic.

[@chaoticus06]

Wow, such a great vid! Thanks Mr. Carroll!

[@johnd.8224]

Ward, after my time in the Navy (F1121 '67-'71 - AQF, I began a career that involved refurbishment of primarily electronic equipment. In that effort over many years I learned that unbelievable amounts of electronic components were available & if you had the need for many individual IC', transistors, etc. you could send them to Taiwan or S. Korea. there they could be reverse engineered using X-Ray photograpky/lithography then produced in quantity with markings you specified or copyin the OEM. Also, it was common to bid on items/products & components that were excess at the time of product/s being discontinued. That might include all engineering/production drawings/documents. Doing so is a very large industry with little regulaton.

[@raynic1173]

Ward, I attended my HT A-school at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, in the spring of '78. Everyday we took the "cattle car" personnel trailers, from the barracks to the school. We shared that ride with Iranian Air officers. We where told they were training for the F-14. As years have gone by and being that the pilots were training in California, I wondered if it was the RIO's that were in Philly with us (?).

[@drenk7]

Ward what a complex supply chain. Also unbelievable incompetence by some US government agencies. Unfortunately this explains why they chopped up the remaining F-14s. 😢

[@PrograError]

well corruptions happens... some more dangerous than others... also the parallel to the ruzzian's

[@josiechaney9010]

Thank you! You’re my favorite newly discovered channel!! 💎

[@v8packard]

In late 2009 I was looking for a lathe at some government surplus auctions (I am a machinist). I went to go look at some that had come from the US Navy at an auction in Virginia. There were all kinds of things at this auction, including surplus engines. There was a giant container, and when I looked it had a brand new GE F110-GE-400 engine. It looked fairly complete, had gearbox hookups and everything. Tags from GE. While this wasn't something used by the Iranian F14 fleet, how could this be auctioned off as surplus? I couldn't believe it. The engine sold for $5k.

[@Khronogi]

Insane. Purely insane.

[@fhturner3]

$5K??? I'd pay that and just sit it in my front yard for the neighborhood to see! 🤣

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

$5k? That's too expensive for my LeMons car.

[@v8packard]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 The $150 305 was too expensive for our Lemons car

[@josephastier7421]

@@v8packard Lemons should be a $300 claim race.

[@hlynnkeith9334]

Lot of details. My compliments.

[@sierramikebravo7332]

Awesome! This explains the handling of the RAAF F-111C fleet upon its retirement. Lots of common parts which would have been in demand.

[@seavixen125]

That and the asbestos.

[@longtabsigo]

Awesome presentation

[@lurchibold]

When one of the smugglers was confronted by the FBI, he was asked "how did you avoid capture for so long?" He replied "Iran"

[@bahnfire318is]

boo this man

[@lurchibold]

@@bahnfire318is Ehh come on dude, that was bonified cheese.

[@mansari7310]

what is your point? i didn't get yours point ,how he replying Iran is profound?

[@lurchibold]

@@mansari7310 Its called wordplay dude, I-ran. If you still don't get it, don't let it worry you, It was in no way ment to offend anybody.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@mansari7310 And Iran. Iran so far away. I just ran. Iran all night and day.

[@Oetti]

By far the most interesting video on Iran’s Tomcats I’ve ever seen

[@josemariaserrano181]

The other source for parts is the reverse engineering effort. Many of the "dumber" parts are made in Iran, but for those that use more exotic materials, the Iranians go to the West, look for a supplier, give them a sample and ask them to make x number without telling them what it is for.

[@euchreairgaming]

The story of the TomCat is summarized perfectly by Christopher Nolan. *"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain"*

[@charlienash1050]

They are more of a hero now than they ever when used by Americans. Iranians were the ones who proved the world the F-14's might

[@dougearnest7590]

Witty, but the weapon is neither the hero nor the villain. (The same applies to personally owned firearms.)

[@morisco56]

​@@charlienash1050 yeah but iran bad because it opposes what the us says

[@mrdddeeezzzweldor5039]

Where there is a will (or a need), there is a way is exemplified in this segment. As always, chock full of detail and compelling it its delivery!

[@grizwoldphantasia5005]

This flyoff between the F-14 and F-15 brings up a question which I have been wondering about for ages. At one of the Reno air races, afetr the Unlimited P-51s and Bearcats and others had screamed around the pylons, an F-14 showed up, and I swear, my memory is that it roared around those pylons, wings straight out, what seemed like full throttle, faster and with sharper turns than the Unlimiteds. It only made a few laps and was gone, and this was long before cell phone cameras. Altitude around 5000 feet, more or less. That leads to my question: In a turning dogfight, can the F-14 turn inside a P-51 or Bearcat or F-15 or other planes? Those swing wings sure seem like just the ticket to my non-expert mind after seeing the Reno exhibition, but it was such an unexpected treat that I don't know how well I actually compared to Unlimiteds to the F-14, and of course that says nothing about "normal" P-51s et al or F-15s et al.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Based on DCS, no. A WWII fighter should always turn inside a modern one. An F-14 with the flaps jammed down can turn very tightly for a modern fighter, but still. I'd be curious if the unlimited class racers have changes in their handling compared to the fighters they're based on. Aren't they allowed to clip their wings and make other modifications of that sort?

[@edwardscott3262]

I know in ww2 and korea biplanes could out maneuver the modern fighters of the time because they were just so much slower. Some very brave pilots had a combination of good luck and good skill. The Soviet night witches were one example of how very slow and maneuverable planes could be difficult to shoot down.

[@GeneralChangFromDanang]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 I don't know about the P-51s but I do know the naval planes will usually have their wings shortened to the hinge point.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@GeneralChangFromDanang Wow, that's stumpy.

[@eddiehaskell1957]

In the late '70's i was on base (LAFB) in San Antonio, at the roller skating rink (that's where the lady's(waf's) are at) and bumped into a couple of Iranian Pilots who were training at Kelly AFB across the street from Lackland. I didn't ask how many were at the base training, but i went into an Iranian Club off base and there were at least a hundred guys there. Whether they were all pilots or mostly ground crew training i didn't know, but wish i had conversed more. A once in a lifetime chance to learn about a country that is as secret as China or Russia, and all i was thinking about is getting back to the skating rink. I was 21 yrs.

[@ricksrealpitbbq]

It’s amazing what a person can acquire through DRMO.

[@Prototheria]

It's not called DRMHome for no reason.

[@jimdennis2451]

Shoot. I only got a couple old file cabinets.

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

Fantastic video and thanks for sharing!!!

[@Ario533]

Fun fact: The shah of Iran was the one who wanted a military car that is usable for day to day driving. Hence mercedes benz created the G-Wagon for him, and later in 79 they launched it publicly.

[@bradwalsh9122]

Very well done and informative video! Great job.

[@JWHarpring]

I think the uncomfortable truth here is not that the US Government is incompetent, but that it was foreign policy at the time to keep Iran and Iraq both mad at each other and about equally capable on the battlefield. That way, nobody wins, and they stay focused on one each other (and less so on other pursuits). The 1991 Gulf War is evidence of what went wrong once those two quit fighting each other.

[@actionjksn]

It was always obvious to me that the best path was to keep those two at each other instead of us invading Iraq. That's why I never liked George W bush and his people.

[@curtisthomas2670]

Hence Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, Desert Storm, destruction of lraq and lSlS Caliphate

[@richardofoz2167]

@@actionjksn That's certainly a new reason for not liking W.

[@actionjksn]

@@richardofoz2167 I don't think it's new. I was always against that GWB invasion of Iraq. I was okay with what his dad did over there, which was to stop them from taking over Kuwait. I can tell you that my opinion was very very unpopular back then. Say what you want about Saddam Hussein, he was obviously an asshole brutal dictator, but he kept the religious crazies in line. He never had any plans to attack the United States, and he didn't really like the jihadists. We could have continued using him as a tool to keep Iran too occupied to pursue their other adventures. I always felt that if we used all the resources that we sent to Iraq, and instead used them against the Taliban. Afghanistan would have ended up much better. This just always seemed obvious to me.

[@emoryzakin2576]

Man, that was too cool and well done. Again!

[@yakakiyakaki]

As much as it grates me to say it, it’s very pleasing to see the legendary Tomcat continues to grace the skies! It was hands down the most versatile combat aircraft ever operated by the USN and a real shame that the design did not end up evolving to a 5th generation weapons system!!!

[@4thImpulse]

Extremely interesting, greatly appreciate your reporting.

[@paramounttechnicalconsulti5219]

This is absolutely spectacular! Back to Iran-Contra; international espionage with more than a dash of Keystone Kops. Not sure if it is your wheelhouse; but a comprehensive video on the Fat Leonard scandal might be instructive and popular. It's been simmering for about a decade, with an indictment here and there, but the whole thing literally sounds like a movie.

[@satyasrikar4677]

Time well spent. Fantastic video. Full of suspence and shocking revelations.

[@Mr.T-SI]

Iran might be retiring F14 soon enough as they bought 64 or so Su35E , 24 of which were standing in the factory parking lot since the sanctions stopped delivery to Egypt

[@williamscott8227]

I do not know if I missed this post when it first aired, but I feel like I saw this post for the first time. What amazes me is that inspite of the maintainance nightmare these old Cats must be, these planes are still so valuable to the Iranians that they are willing to go through the trouble to keep them running.

[@wyskass861]

The story of the parts auctions was bureaucratic comedy. Considering Iran as the only operator, where did they expect the parts to go. Even more generally, as the only operator their work on acquiring parts was an obvious expectation. Interesting update on the retired life of the old Tomcat.

[@janchovanec8624]

My friend, those people didn't expect anything when selling F-14 parts. They are the same people who look at a Humvee and call it a tank. Not only they have no clue what the Tomcats were, but they would not be able to say on which continent Iran is.

[@Larpy1933]

Sir: your work ethic is incredible. Thanks.

[@earthwindflier]

Happy to say I got to see the lineup at Monthan PRE doomsday. Looking ahead...I have to wonder if the F-35 program won't travel down the same path considering the current climate. It's hard NOT to imagine a cottage industry of cloned 35 parts on the black market.

[@alexm566]

to who? what F35 owner would flip?

[@anthonylaiferrario]

Great info Ward!

[@blackjacko]

I worked on top gun MAVRICK, Navy was very diligent on keeping track of all the antiquated F-14 parts they loaned us for this reason

[@majesticpbjcat7707]

Fascinating stuff. Another top tier video, Ward. Thanks so much for what you do!

[@Axemantitan]

3:40 But the second kill was later that year (or 39 years earlier, sources differ) when two US Navy F-14s splashed two Mitsubishi Zeroes near Hawaii.

[@Arnold7221]

Great Video, keep em coming.

[@RLDenham]

It will be interesting to see how long the F-14 continues to fly for Iran once the Su-35's they just purchased are fully integrated.

[@mikedeck8381]

Israel continued to help Iran keep it's air force up in the air till the end of the war. They kept about 100 Israeli aerospace engineers in a secret compound outside Tehran helping them to fabricate their own parts. Israel considered Iraq to be a bigger threat at the time so it wasn't as odd as it seemed. They also cooperated with Israel on the strike against the Iraqi nuclear reactor.

[@zefdin101]

Question? While these two US agents (the man & the woman) and a dozen other agents in their task force seem to be doing yeomen’s work , would it be cheaper and easier for them to just buy up and destroy all the existing F14 parts base themselves? The huge mark up is actually coming on the tail end, so it would be less expensive than it would seem I think. These parts have to be new old stock or used stock and something with a finite amount. If these items were something you can make new in a machine shop or electronics lab, I don’t think the Iranians would go to all this trouble, there are high end CNC equipment all over and electronics labs as well. They should just destroy the source parts and be done with it.

[@mohsenasraneh1046]

Thanks for information you sharing F14 I'm Iranian Canadian 🖖

[@oveidasinclair982]

I wouldn't doubt for one minute that Israel was responsible for getting them a high number of hard to get parts, they are the ONLY country who was able to get high end/hard to get parts to them, I wouldn't doubt that they're still smuggling parts to them.

[@JamesOMalley-hb4tf]

No need, Iran makes everything now itself ...

[@kimgye]

Great topic. Great episode Ward