What alternate history could put the F-14 Tomcat into Royal Navy service, and how might a British variant differ?
Short answerIt needs a large CVA-01-type carrier; a British version would most plausibly gain British engines, avionics, and weapon compatibility.
NotesExisting British carriers would not have the deck strength or scale to operate Tomcats comfortably. A British F-14 therefore requires a CVA-01-scale carrier to survive the procurement process, with British engines, avionics, and weapons as the most plausible national modifications. A Rolls-Royce-powered variant could improve performance instead of merely compensating for navalization changes.