I do not understand why people want to spoil the memory of the Tomcat by claiming it is still an alternative to a current generation fighter like Superbug? The whole tooling, design, production process is different. The Superbug is a digital plane designed integrally on computer, with fully integrated avionics and ecm. Besides state-of-the art human/computer interfaces it flies itself, with fully redundant systems and networked SA.
The Tomcat was a masterpiece of cunning aircraft design, a marvellous engineering succes and an aircraft that helped redesign flight. It deserves more respect than unsubstantiated claims it could live in the digital age.
I'm sorry to say so man but I have the greatest respect imaginable for my granddad but the simple fact is he's dead.
Not only has the Tomcat gone, the age in which it excelled has passed away. the cold war is gone, the big bomber fleets are being scrapped, the analog technology which composes 90% even of the F-14D has been phased out.
Swing wings are a cumbersome hydraulic technology that no-one wants to implement anymore. I agree the tilt-rotor design of the Osprey is based on similar technology, but exactly this fact is considered as one of the main technological risks of that project. If you can do without, like Eagle, Flanker, Mig-29, Hornet, F-16 etc., you save a lot of weight AND gain largely in reliability and maintainability. No swing-wing on F-35 and F-22, Rafale or Typhoon. Should make the picture rather clear.