This all comes down to air superiority in the end. If we can kill their AWACS there will be no target data and no firing. If we can't, they can fire.
Here's a question: What will be our best air to air missile range once the F-14 is retired? The Tomcat/Phoenix combo was designed partly to deal with similar threats from the Soviets. AMRAAM only goes out about 40 nm, Phoenix goes 120nm. Makes an AWACS kill a lot easier...
Well, Phoenix is 120 nm or so from point of launch.....even better.
But as someone pointed out on another thread, unless we find another platform for the Phoenix, we lose not only the use of the missile, but also a considerable difference in tactical radius for the CAP, since the physical size limitations of the F/A-18 limit its radius considerably compared to a Tom. The guy on the other thread was suggesting doing a license deal for the Sukhoi Su-27 "Flanker", or the navalized Su-33, I think it is, "Flanker" being the Soviet interpretation of the F-14A, so that it shares a lot of characteristics with the F-14. Equipped with U.S. avionics and the AIM-54 Phoenix, it would basically be a straight-winged "F-14E". The aircraft's sobriquet when first introduced was "Tomcatsky". It's armed with a standoff missile called, with good reason, "AMRAAMsky", and with another weapon that has performance similar to, and range a little better than, the AIM-54.
So if we just cease to deploy the F-14D/AIM-54 combination, we give up combat radius to defend the carriers and the F/A-18's will be at a disadvantage when confronted with Chinese-operated Su-27's (and followon mods) armed with the Soviet/Russian long-range missile, which has a range of something like 150 nm.