Four F-14 Jets Seized From Private Owners

[moose135]

From:http://www.nbc4.tv/news/11187298/detail.html

Four F-14 Jets Seized From Private Owners
Investigators Say Planes Were Improperly Decommissioned

LOS ANGELES -- Federal agents seized four F-14 fighter jets Tuesday as part of a 17-month investigation into how they were transferred to private owners before they were properly "demilitarized."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, U.S. Department of Defense officials and agents with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) were at Chino Airport Tuesday to seize the jets. Authorities said three of the planes were held by local air museums.

The F-14s were improperly transferred to private parties, according to investigators. The investigation was launched after allegations that the jets were not properly "demilitarized" before the transfers.

Demilitarization regulations require certain parts, such as ejector seats, to be removed before the equipment is transferred to a private party. Two aircraft were located at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino. One plane was at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino. A fourth F-14 was acquired by a production company for the television program "JAG." The plane was stored at a facility in Victorville. Investigators said the jets were retired from active service at the Naval Air Station at Point Mugu, Calif., in the late 1990s.

"The same thing that makes these planes a source of interest for aircraft enthusiasts, their relatively pristine condition, also makes them desirable for those with less innocent motives," said Robert Schoch, special agent in charge for the ICE office of investigations in Los Angeles, in a news release. "The strict regulations governing the transfer of military aircraft are designed to reduce the likelihood that sensitive equipment and technology might fall into the hands of individuals or countries seeking to do us or our allies harm."

The news release said the Navy has new policies and procedures to prevent improperly demilitarized planes from being transferred to private owners. The planes will be partially dismantled and transported to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center in Arizona.

The investigation into the transfer is continuing.

[PhilDernerJr]

"The same thing that makes these planes a source of interest for aircraft enthusiasts, their relatively pristine condition, also makes them desirable for those with less innocent motives..."

Because any day now, a terrorist will board the Intrepid and catapault right off of it with the Blackbird that's on the deck.

[GrummanFan]

Well, Iran has a bunch of old Tomcat A-models, and I'm sure they would love to get their hands on some parts. But are they really willing to break into a museum just to get their hands on a few things just to keep one plane flying?

[Matt Molnar]

There could be some 1960s-era tech in those things that is still years ahead of what China and Iran, for example, have developed.

[GrummanFan]

Well speak of the devil...

http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2007_03/IranF14.asp

[AndrewM]

interesting. I know the airport manager over there. I just saw him last week at an LA basin aviation conference. I wonder if he knew that investigation was going on...

[Nonstop2AUH]

Sounds like these folks saw "Iron Eagle" a few too many times. I can't imagine there would be much in these old, presumably unflyable aircraft to make them useful to 'evildoers.' And if they weren't properly demilitarized, isn't that the fault of government itself, or more likely, the contractor that was given the job of taking the stuff out?

[Derf]

Iran had a 7 ship and 14 ship F-14 fly past a few years ago....if you check, they have confirmed kills with the PHOENIX. They have lots of spares for their F-14 airforce!

[Nonstop2AUH]

Derf- remember that they got some of their F-14 spares as part of the Reagan administration's Iran-Contra deal. I read somewhere that there were actually parts shortages for the US Tomcat fleet at the time which turned out to be because some of the stuff had been sent over there. Diplomacy is all about these carrot and stick tradeoffs and relative prioritization of objectives.

[Tom_Turner]

Ejector seats? LOL

[Nick]

Wow..Well, the idea of having 1 part to put in another single airframe is wrong. They'd probably reverse engineer the part and use it on all their airframes. Hard to believe this even happened.