The F-14 fighter jet was developed by Grumman Corporation of the United States at the end of 1967. The prototype made its maiden flight on December 21, 1970, and was delivered for use in May 1972. In 1987, the F-14B equipped with an improved engine was officially put into production to replace the Navy's F-4 "Ghost". In 1988, the F-14 was further improved and upgraded in terms of radar, avionics and missile payload capacity, and was named the F-14D "Super Tomcat".