The United States Navy retired the F-14 Tomcat from service today after 34 years of service. The fighter projected American air power into all corners of the world and protected the various U.S. Navy fleets and bases.The F/A-18 Hornet will replace it.
Most will remember the F-14 from the Tom Cruise film "Top Gun" in 1986.
It got very expensive to maintain the fighter, which required forty hours of service on the ground to keep it in the air for one hour of flight time. Over the last year every F-14 squadron was deactivated and their equipment flown back to the United States for mothballing, dismantling, or preparation for their new role as museum pieces.
The Soviets definitely didn't like the F-14; it was designed to shoot down Soviet bombers and fighters that were threatening U.S. Navy aircraft carriers or military bases. Now Iran is the only nation left in the world flying the F-14 and they're in various states of disrepair since the U.S. government won't sell them spare parts to maintain the air-superiority fighter.
Wikipedia has a fairly complete list of F-14 squadrons and their histories. It should be noted that some of the F-14 squadrons now fly the F/A-18 as well as other combat aircraft.
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