Why an F-14 successor cannot simply return decades later

How would the US Navy react if the F-14X returned as its main interceptor?

The panel expects alarm: an F-14 development might have made sense at the earlier replacement decision, but reviving it decades later is judged unsuitable for present needs.

An F-14 development is judged to have been a credible choice when the Navy was deciding how to replace the Tomcat. The decision to pursue the alternative is acknowledged as understandable on cost grounds. Reviving the F-14 family as the main interceptor decades later is a different proposition, and the panel considers it unsuitable for the needs of the episode's present day. The answer separates disagreement with the original retirement decision from support for bringing the aircraft back now.