Shortly after Jimmy Carter made it into the White House, the need for arming Iran with the first line American air superiority fighters quickly evaporated. After Viktor Belenko defected to Japan with a Soviet MiG 25 at the end of 1976, the intelligence services were able to determine the true capabilities and limitations of the MiG 25 Foxbat. Armed with this knowledge, the need for the F-15 or F14 in the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) quickly deflated just as the hostile Iranian Islamist revolutionaries threatened to overthrow Iran and gain control of the F-14 aircraft. Unwilling to renege on the contract with Iran and the promise to the Shah, President Carter refused to suspend deliveries of the F-14 aircraft and spare parts despite growing concerns that the F-14 aircraft could fall into hostile Iranian control and be handed over to the Soviet Union, which did happen.
“Shortly after Jimmy Carter made it into the White House, the need for arming Iran with the first line American air superiority fighters quickly evaporated.”
“Unwilling to renege on the contract with Iran and the promise to the Shah, President Carter refused to suspend deliveries of the F-14 aircraft and spare parts despite growing concerns that the F-14 aircraft could fall into hostile Iranian control and be handed over to the Soviet Union, which did happen.”
I read the above paragraphs as somewhat contradictory, because Carter became “unwilling to renege on the contract” especially when he knew Islamists were going to depose of the Shah because Carter supported the Islamists?
The contract for F-14’s with Iran was signed during Nixon-Ford years; “The initial order signed in January of 1974 covered 30 Tomcats, but in June 50 more were added to the contract.”
According to this source: http://www.iiaf.net/aircraft/jetfighters/F14/f14.html
“The Iranian Tomcats were fairly late on the production line, and were therefore delivered with the TF30-P-414 engine, which was much safer than the compressor-stall-prone P-412 engine. The first 2 of 79 Tomcats arrived in Iran in January of 1976. By May of 1977, when Iran celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Royal House, 12 had been delivered. At this time, the Soviet MiG-25 Foxbats were still making a nuisance of themselves by flying over Iran, and the Shah ordered live firing tests of the Phoenix to be carried out as a warning. In August of 1977, IIAF crews shot down a BQM-34E drone flying at 50,000 feet, and the Soviets took the hint and Foxbat over flights promptly ended.”
Read more at link. Interesting and in many parts very detailed/specific.