I absolutely LOVED the F-14 and its Phoenix missile. Imagine a 125-mile range...they are part of the reason that the Bear stayed inside of its cage until Reagan could bankrupt them.
However, what this article reminds me of is the 1986 incident with Libya, in which we blamed Quaddafi for the disco bombing in Germany. We sent F-111s to bomb him...and the pilots must’ve been so tired after having to fly all the way around the Iberian Peninsula and across the Med, that the laser-guided bombs they dropped “accidentally” hit the French embassy compound. Yeah, that was a shame.
I do remember a parody song that came out at the time, based on “Rockin’ in the USA,” called “Rockets from the USA” - and I’ve not been able to find a copy of that anywhere. Anyone have any ideas about that?
I hear those Bears were outrageously noisy.