The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark was among the rare class of jets that managed to be almost entirely ahead of their time in almost all their features. Not less than beautiful and powerful, it brought together the raw speed, up-to-the-minute technology, and such flexibility that it was able to accomplish the work of no other plane. The F-111 was the result of a very harsh and quick war between the US and the Soviet Union. It was built to serve as a single model for the U.S. Navy and the Air Force—a huge challenge that made everyone involved suffer for a while during the initial period, but ultimately led to an aircraft that left a big landmark in the history of military aviation.
The concept started in 1962 under the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) program. The Pentagon desired a single aircraft that would be capable of deep strike, air superiority, and nuclear delivery. On paper, it would be cheaper and easier to logistically support. In reality, it was problematic. The Navy required a lighter, more responsive vehicle for carrier landings, whereas the Air Force desired speed with long range and heavy payloads.
Ultimately, the Navy walked away due to weight and landing issues, but the Air Force continued. The outcome was the F-111A for tactical bombing and the FB-111A for longer-range strategic nuclear bombs. General Dynamics won the contract in that same year, and in 1964, the first production version was rolling off the assembly lines.
What differentiated the F-111 was its swing-wing design. Pilots were able to sweep the wings aft more than 70 degrees for searing supersonic dashes, or out to only 16 degrees for takeoff, landing, and low-speed flight. This provided the Aardvark with incredible flexibility—able to scream down over Mach 2.2 in one instant, then descend to treetop altitude the next to slip by enemy radar. It could even operate from short runways and fly across oceans without refueling.
Innovation permeated its design. The F-111 had terrain-following radar—a computerized system that allowed it to fly a few hundred feet off the ground at high speed, both day and night, rain or shine. The sophisticated avionics package integrated navigation, targeting, and communications in a manner that few aircraft had done previously. Even its attitude toward pilot safety was unconventional: rather than having individual ejection seats, both pilots occupied a detachable escape pod that could blow off the plane and serve as a survival capsule in the water or on land.
Its twin Pratt & Whitney TF30 afterburning turbofans each generated over 25,000 pounds of thrust, providing it with fantastic performance and range—over 2,500 nautical miles on internal fuel only. Payload capacity was also impressive. The F-111 could be equipped with up to 24 conventional or nuclear armaments, including precision-guided bombs and the AGM-69 SRAM missile. Clever pivoting pylons kept bombs and fuel tanks aligned with airflow regardless of wing position.
In an age when most planes were specialists, the F-111 was a generalist. It could function as a tactical bomber, a long-range nuclear strike vehicle, a reconnaissance plane, or even an electronic warfare plane. And it performed each with an effectiveness that won the respect of allies and enemies alike.
Its combat record showed just how effective it was. In Vietnam, F-111s made deep penetration attacks against strongly defended targets, frequently at night, and were called “Whispering Death.” In 1986, F-111Fs of the U.K. made one of history’s longest fighter missions on Operation El Dorado Canyon to attack Libya after a demanding 6,400-mile round trip. During the Gulf War, they were used as the weapon of choice for dark-of-night precision attacks, knocking out more than 1,500 armored vehicles and strategic infrastructure—better even than the A-10 at killing tanks.
The EF-111A Raven, the electronic warfare edition, totally turned the wheel and took on a different job. Its bombs were replaced by powerful jamming systems that could be seen through a big underbelly radome and wingtip pods, and it was converted by Grumman. The person who operated the jammers and was generally in charge of the Electronic Warfare operated the right-hand seat. Such are the achievements of the Ravens during Desert Storm when they managed to quiet enemy radars and thus protect the strike packages from the threat of surface-to-air missiles. Loss of one EF-111A in a low-level defense maneuver resulted in a series of severe changes, such as tactical training.
The influence of the F-111 can easily be tracked down in the successors of the F-111. The F-14 Tomcat, Panavia Tornado, and even Soviet designs all have something in common with the F-111 in terms of swing-wing design. And, its avionics and low-level strike through put indeed have been the measure of all other attempts for decades. The idea of one aircraft performing multiple functions has been carried out by the likes of F-15E Strike Eagle and F-35 Lightning II jets.
Despite all its failings and inter-service politics, the F-111 still managed to grow up to be a stalwart of the U.S. and Australian air power for almost four decades. Its mix of speed, range, payload, and survivability turned adaptability out to be as valuable as specialization. The Aardvark no longer carries out combat missions, but the experiences it had and the feats it accomplished continue to fly high in the new generation of fighter jets.