How Much Does F-14 Jets Cost? Iran’s Aging Tomcat Fighters Destroyed At Isfahan Airport, Claims Israel Amid Rising West Asia Conflict

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took credit for an airstrike on an airport in Isfahan, claiming they destroyed several of Iran’s Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter jets.

In a statement on Telegram, the IDF said their forces also hit radar detection and air-defense systems they saw as threats to Israeli aircraft. 

They described the attack as part of a larger effort to hit Iran’s strategic military infrastructure. The IDF didn’t say exactly how many fighter jets they destroyed.

Strikes Hit Several Parts of Isfahan Province

Iranian news, including Tasnim, reported airstrikes in multiple locations across Isfahan Province. Authorities said at least 11 people died after strikes hit manufacturing sites and other places, including a horse-riding club.

Cities and towns that were reportedly hit include Isfahan, Najafabad, Aran and Bidgol, Borkhar, Khomeyni Shahr, Shahreza, Falavarjan, and Mobarakeh. Iranian officials said some of the targets were industrial workshops.

The IDF also said the Isfahan attack came after another operation where they destroyed 16 aircraft tied to the Quds Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran. Israeli officials said these moves are meant to weaken Iran’s military and cut down on threats to Israeli air operations.

Oil Depots Targeted Near Tehran

Iran’s Fars News Agency reported more strikes in Tehran and nearby Alborz Province, where oil storage facilities were hit. At least four tanker drivers died in those attacks, according to reports.

Isfahan isn’t just a military target it’s also where one of Iran’s major nuclear facilities is located. That gives the area a lot of strategic importance, especially in global talks about uranium enrichment and nuclear energy. The US, Israel, and other Western countries have voiced their worries about Iran’s nuclear ambitions before.

Axios reports that Washington and Israel are even thinking about sending special forces into Iran to secure highly enriched uranium stockpiles. But they’d only do that if Iran’s defenses take a serious hit.

F-14 Tomcat Fighter Jets- How much do they cost? 

Back in the mid-1970s, Iran bought 79 F-14 Tomcat fighters from the United States. The deal, arranged under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, came with a hefty price tag about $2 billion at the time.

That covered not just the jets, but also hundreds of Phoenix missiles, pilot training, and long-term support. Adjusted for inflation, each F-14 ended up costing more than $200 million, making them some of the priciest fighter jets around back then.

Only 79 of the 80 ordered planes actually made it to Iran before the 1979 Revolution. These days, if you wanted to buy or replace a fighter jet with that level of technology, you’d easily spend over $150 million per plane.

Fast forward to today, Iran is the last country still flying the F-14. To keep them in the air, they get creative: smuggling spare parts, salvaging components from grounded jets, and even making their own replacements.

It’s a patchwork effort, but so far, it’s kept their aging Tomcats flying.

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