Tornado F3 VS F-14 Tomcat with Phil Keeble 

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I’ve trained often with UK military units. I loved working with them, love their people. Didn’t get to spend enough time in their country, but it’s on my bucket list. Have to take my wife over.

"We would bravely run away and do the same" Amazing, pure British sarcasm lol. Loved this interview.

The Tornado or "Tonka" as its affectionately known was a very stable, fast, bomb delivery truck with amazing ground hugging radar. Engineers during Desert Storm often noted paint was missing on the belly of the aircraft thanks to extreme sand dune skimming. Absolute legends

Without a single doubt in my mind, being an American, we have some of the best allies ever. I remember being really young and listening to my grandpa who served in WWII talk about the British troops that he encountered. "Those men were some of the toughest sons of bitches I ever saw." Was what he always said and he meant it with nothing but respect.

Love these old British pilots. Cheers from the US!

Well done RN. As a proud American I tend to be biased towards the US military but in a clearer intellectual moment it’s more valuable to have the US lose and LEARN from the experience than go out and win and learn much less. Thanks to some great allies from an appreciative Yank.

Back in the 1989 I asked my friend "Art D" a former F-14A Tomcat pilot what was his impressions of the RAF Tornado? He said, "in a close in WVR fight the F-14A has real advantages but, approaching the Tornadoes is the difficult part. The RAF had developed a set of tactics that made the Tornados very difficult to fight.

I'm just glad that the RAF and RN are our allies. We Yanks have the best damn allies in the world. Full Stop.

"Run away bravely." Love it!

One of the great joys of Red Flag was in the bar in the evening when good natured banter between the crews always made for lively face to face debate. The underlying tone was always of mutual respect as we were all doing the best we could with the equipment we were given. The internet seems to have destroyed that mutual respect judging by some of the foul, insulting and infantile language used by some on here. This is the "New World" that is divided by extreme views in everything and has led to so much polarisation in society, it is just so sad.

My grandfather was a German WW I fighter pilot with 12 confirmed kills and served on the staff of Luftflotte West in WW II. He always had great respect for the British pilots.

"run away bravely" I'm going to use that one!

I've worked with the US military and have always found them very gracious, very polite and very good at what they do. Obviously the same can't be said for their keyboard warriors. (See below).

I'm not even a brit, but you've got to love British ingenuity. Thanks Phil and Mike for this.

Well done Mr. Keeble. You can't buy those kinds of experiences and training. You were in the right service, for the right country at the right time. I am definitely a little jealous of your opportunities. This Yank salutes you and all your fellow servicemen, especially the oft forgotten ground crews. Hands across the water!

British are world-class in all that they do! Much respect ! 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇺🇦

A classic case of supersonic jets v subsonic ones was when on a F4 phantom squadron and the USAF Aggressors arrived with their F5s. Turning wasn't everything. Sometimes using the burners , punching up to height and get unsighted and then using the vertical was a very combat tactic. That and 2 pairs of eyes. Again it's about knowing your opposition and playing to your strengths and his weaknesses that won the day.

As F3 groundcrew, I remember going on attachments with the Hawks and the combination of the two aircraft being a lethal mix

the tonka may have been a "warmed-over bomber" but it just goes to show it's the man and not the machine that makes the difference

The F14 and Tornado were both the dream planes i wanted to fly when in ATC

Just goes to prove that it's not just the weapon, but the mind behind it as well.

First time I've saw your videos as a Brit myself thanks for your service the tornado my opinion one of our best fighters ever

I’ve just seen this video and comments. I’ve got nothing but admiration for anyone who has served, regardless of seeing any “action”. It takes a great team effort to be able to operate effectively in peace and during war. That applies to any branch of the military. Interesting video, thanks.

Tea drinking intensifies....

Always glad the Brits are on our team globally !!!!!

That’s why we pull the exercises! We learn from each other and we’re all stronger for it

I've always considered the USA and UK as being polar opposites of a perfect team. America being the "accelerator" (let's do it let's go now now now!) Britan as the brakes (let's take a moment to consider things). Outcome, success pretty much every time there's collaboration! There's a fair few decades of evidence to support this.

Good to see Phil waxing lyrical.....I remember him in my back seat during the OCU....good value instructor! Thanks Phil.

Tornado is commonly very underrated. As well as her pilots and wso's. Who won't die to fly a Tornado low level on max velocity? Unbelievable. Would be cool having a comparison to the Buccaneer which is also a really interesting plane. 🇩🇪🤙Blue Sky!

I think Halks are what the Red Arrows fly, and so superm manouverable

OH and i forgot to say 'well done, another great video'!

F14 job is to protect a carrier, and everyone was afraid of the Phoenix. Would never get close in a real engagement. If the Phoenix was updated and we had a fighter that could carry it today there would be nothing to stop it.

Great stuff ... when push comes to shove, the gloves come off with the Brits. As good as it was to hear them get one over on the Yanks, I think people from either side will always agree that the UK/US allegence is the closest, strongest and longest there is ... and when that collaborative capability is turned towards a 'real' aggressor then it'll never bode well for those poor souls.

Amusing stories, and it does give you a decent insight into the difference in attitudes. Whereas the American and Russians are more procedural in different ways the Brits have long had a tradition of bending the guidelines. Of course that can sometimes get you into trouble. It also gives you a good indication as to how visual recognition even now is still very important.

I love how he says "Run away bravely " only the Brits can can say Run like hell so eloquently

Thanks for sharing your story with us Phil, that was really interesting.

Excellent comments by this gentleman.

Thank God for the Brits! We'll never face a more capable adversary. Glad were on the same side.

An absolutely fascinating insight into fighter training and combat tactics. 👍

Always interesting to get these sort of insights. Great video, thanks for posting it.

RAF & USN - best of the best.

Way to go RAF

What a wonderful story!

Great story! Thanks!

Hats off.. no reason why we can't learn from losing. Good job to the allies. God bless

great stuff... thanks !

Just a quibble, and I'm sure the gentleman simply misremembered, but the "Midway" class carriers only embarked F-18s- F-4s before them. They never embarked F-14s. Also, it have to have been either the USS Midway (CV-41) or USS Coral Sea (CV-43). The only other Midway-class carrier was USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42), which was decommissioned in 1977.

Great story. Thanks.

I watched the Americans flying their F14s or "Tom Cats", through the valleys in Snowdonia. Looking down on aircraft twisting and dancing between the mountains was breath taking! I think the Yanks are unbeatable in real combat situations. Magnificent men in magnificent flying machines!

wow, one for 'Blighty' but i suspect there will be some sour grapes to follow on here which is a shame because we are on the same side (I think and hope so!) we are the 'good-guys' Proud of our RAF, always known for being adaptable and resourceful , making the best of what they had!. Well done Phill Keeble, we are proud of you and all your colleagues past and present and also proud of our cousins across the pond too, we all fight for what is right and good, or at least that;s what we should be doing!

Thanks! Give this Man all my money. :D

The F-14 and F-18 are for different purposes than the Tornado F MK3. The F-14 is a CAP fighter, the F-18 is a dogfighter and the F Mk3 was a pure interceptor. That said the F MK3 could sort of do CAP but not for hours and hours like the F-14. The F-14 in standard config could do cap for 4 hours (more with the extra drop tanks dropped) but the F MK3 struggled to do more than 2 hours. However if you want to intercept something big (like a TU-95) the 37mm vs 209mm cannon makes a difference and from ready 5 to intercept altitude could be as little as 3 minutes.,

I’m finding this hard to believe know the radar that was on the the Tomcats!

This must have been during the time Maverick was on leave for Gooses funeral because he would not have stood to loose 4 times!

There was never a Midway class carrier named "Pearl Harbor" and the F-14 never flew from any Midway class carriers.If memory serves, the Saratoga was on deployment in the Med in the early '90s. Having said that, yes. I have always envied the Brits for their tactical- minded training. The Brits always geared their training exercises toward war while we always geared our training toward safety and compliance. Gave them a definite edge. The Buccaneers would show up at Red Flag and just dominate exercises because they didn't train with "hard decks". Their subs would almost always win at AUTAC because they trained to sink subs instead of training to pass reactor inspections.

What a brilliant story :-)

Just thankful we are all on the same side!

Good job Britts

Love The RAF. Keep telling my American Friend We'd kick their arse :D

"The package came from behind and shot them in the tail." Money shot of sorts. LOL

Great story!

Wonderful. And I agree with the comment about US 'tactical constraint'. I noticed that when I controlled the Combat Training Area in the North Sea. I would put US 'Aggressors' in against a variety of RAF fighters and the US would most of the time be sent home smarting.

My new favourite channel..

superior strategy will always over come a superior force. nicely done sir

Well Done.

Obviously it's not real life, but I remember using that Mixed Fighter Force Concept when playing the old Harpoon computer game - it worked a treat! The way I did it was to have a pair of Phantoms at altitude on CAP, with four Hawks flying a racetrack pattern up-threat at low altitiude. When the F-4s saw the raiders coming (MiG-23s IIRC) they sent the Hawks in, essentially using them as long-range smart-missiles. Then, just as the Floggers were maneuvering to get shots on the F-4s, the Hawks would pop up into them and create havoc.

awesome!

Cheers, from America!

That's a nice story.

Slight error in his memory recall. To my knowledge the Midway-class CVs didn't operate the F-14. From the 1960s the fighter wings of the USS Midway and the USS Coral Sea operated F-4s and F-8s, and later upgraded to the F/A-18. As for the USS Franklin D Roosevelt, it operated attack, not fighter, squadrons prior to its decommissioning in 1977, flying the A-6, A-7, and AV-8B. Furthermore, there were only these three (3) vessels in this class; the USS Pearl Harbour is an LSD and does not operate fixed-wing aircraft.

Love the RAF boys

Great stories :-)

Fantastic

Brilliant. Shows you, tactics is everything.

...........and then home for tea and medals!

The slight differences in thinking between different airforces is always interesting. How do you maintain discipline and have a plan while still have a degree of flexibility.

wondering how theF-14s AWG9 or APG71 depends on the F-14 type didn't pickup the second package doesn't matter how far the separation was ????

Good sort the Yanks. Work with them closely, and never a dull moment. Good mates made over the years.

we are the best , thank you !!!!

Midway class didn’t have F-14’s. It wasn’t big enough to carry Tomcats or the S-3 Viking.

Great strategy and great humility, but being a warfighter, everyday isn't a holiday but strategy, training and above all prayer is essential.

Let's look at some data. The Tornado F,3 weighed 42,000lbs combat configured and 61,700lbs max with two RB.199-34R Mk.105 TF giving 34,000 lbs thrust at AB. Wing area was 322 ft.sq. The US interceptors available at the time were the F-15C and F-14B. The F-15C at combat weight was 44,630lbs and max at 68,000lbs with two F100-P-220 TFs giving 47,660lbs and 608ft.sq. The F-14B went at 59,714lbs and 74,349lbs, 2 x F110-GE-400 at 54,000lbs and 565 sq. ft. That meant that where the Tornado F.3 had a thrust to wgt ratio of .81 at combat wgt and .55 at max wgt, the F-15C had 1.07 and .70 and the F-14B had a ratio of .9 and .73. Wing loading was 130.7 and 191.08 for the Tornado F.3 and 73.4 and 111.84 for the F-15C and 105.69 and 131.9 for the F-14B. The Tornado F.3 carried 2,02 US gal.s internal and 2 x 594 gal. tanks for a combat radius of 350nm. The F-15C carries 2,233 gals. internal and 3,238 in CFT and 3 x 610 gal. drop tanks. The F-14B carries 2,691 gal.s internal and 2 x 267 gal. tanks. F-15C combat radius is 700nm and the F-14B can make 500nm. The Tornado F.3 carries Foxhunter radar and wasn't wired for AMRAAM, the F-14B had the AWG-9 FCS and no AMRAAM, the F-15C had the APG-70 and was wired for the AIM-120. The Foxhunter carried a 27mm Mauser cannon, 4 Skyflash SARH AAMs and 2 AIM-9 Sidewinders. The F-15C carried 4 AIM-7 Sparrow and 4 AIM-9 and an M61A1 20mm cannon or six AIM-120 and 4 x AIM-9. The F-14B carried 4 AIM-54C, 2 x AIM-7 and 2 x AIM-9 and the 20mm M61. The Tornado F.3 eventually cost the RAF $29M each. The F-15C would have cost $21M and the F-14B would have cost $25M. Both the F-14B and F-15C were better dogfighters. Both had equivalent or superior A2A radar and FCS, while the F-14B carried the AIM-54C, the best Soviet bomber killer available. The F-15C had more time on station capable. For the money the RAF paid for 100 Tornado F.3, they could've gotten 138 F-15C or 111 F-14B. Along with a mature maintenance and sustainment infrastructure available anywhere in the world. So why did the UK buy Tornado F.3?

A nice honest account of his time as an F3 pilot, and great interview ☺ can I ask where this was filmed at ? And also I think an interview with a guy called Dave Morgan would be interesting too ! 😉 well done again

Can anyone tell me what function the intake looking protrusion at the bottom the vertical stabilizer on the tornado serves? I can’t find an explanation anywhere.

Great lads the yanks 👍🏻🍺

Akrotiri on the ‘Ton’. Great days as a liney.

An interesting Vid ,thanks for posting ,the F3 always got a lot of slating in various circles ,but it did the job it was meant to do ,and I think it was retired too early ,like the Jaguar .

Jolly Great to listen to Real Life Combat Experiences with cups of Tea or Coffee & Vegan Burgers indeed! Yes , respect the Americans , always equipped with Bigger & more Fire Powered planes but seem like the Good Ol' RAF still can outfoxed the bogged down by Regulation American pilots anytime! Stay Safe & Stay Grateful! 🌷🌿🌎💖🇬🇧🇺🇸

we all know this is a fairy tale because in '89 the Navy had Maverick and Ice Man on alert

Kind of reminds me of some of the lessons and tactics the English used in the battle of Britain. Only they had the amazing Spitfire back then in my humble opinion the most important fighter in history. .

Great stories, all tongue in cheek and great banter. The UK and the USA have a great relationship, always have had..... well, after 1783-4-ish 🤣👍. The Politicos in the EU would like that gone. Hopefully we can all get back on track after..... Go the Donald! ⛑🏈🏀⚾🍕🍔🍟🌭

Hurrah for us.

That’s a beautiful jet. Even if it is old by now, it’s sexy.

At 2:19, what carrier did he say?

Funny what he said about the US Navy "following the rules of engagement". The US Airforce would totally disagree, lol.

Interesting.

Each sides aviation culture/leaders decided the outcome in advance and not the equipment or individual pilots is what I took away from this gentleman's discussion.

Is that Fred Grubdy he's talking about, I wonder (QWI)?

Likely inexperienced crews vs experienced crews, called old buck teaching a young buck a thing or two about experience. Seen a Marine Colonel in an F-4S smoke USAF Captains flying F-15's at Nellis. It's called experience beats technology. He routinely trumped USAFR F-16s out of Carswell AFB as well. Airforce always wanted ROE to tilt battle to close in dogfighting. Didn't like the F-4S much longer range AWG-10B radar and Sparrow missiles.