F-111 Aardvark “Was the destroyer of all”

When the F-111 first entered service during the Cold War, it became the first multi-role capable platform to take to the skies. The “Aardvark” was also the first production airframe with a variable wing configuration that could be changed in flight.

Considered by some to be the “F-35 of its day,” this revolutionary platform has proven to be a critical asset in combat and is revered today by aviation experts and the military alike.

Introducing the F-111 Aardvark

Developed under the infamous Robert McNamara the TFX programThe F-111 was truly a product of the Cold War. In 1960, an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union in a shocking incident. American officials were unaware at the time of the Soviets’ advanced surface-to-air missile capabilities. To circumvent these cutting-edge systems, the Air Force understood it needed a platform capable of flying at higher altitudes.

As part of the Tactical Fighter Experimental program, McNamara gave the task production with the creation of a single platform that could meet the needs of both the Navy and the Air Force. General Dynamics was eventually selected to develop the TFX fighter and agreed to produce an initial 23 F-111s.

General dynamics designed Aardvark from the ground up, including fitting it with a pair of fuel-efficient TF30 turbofan engines, complete with afterburner technology. In terms of munitions carrying capabilities, the F-111 was essentially a “truck bomb” in the sky. Its massive fuselage could carry bomb loads of up to 31,000 pounds and fuel for missions up to 2,500 miles long. The platform could initially carry the M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon in its internal weapons bay; however, this ability was further removed.

As detailed by Air Force Technology“The internal baggage could carry bombs of the Mk 117 (340 kg) type and up to the Mk 118 (1,400 kg) was cleared. The F-111 could carry various free-fall nuclear weapons such as the B43, B57, and B61 bombs. The F-111 could not carry any external weapons due to its fuselage design.

The F-111C can launch an AGM-142 Popeye missile, an AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile and an AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile.”

Operational history

The Aardvark it made its operational debut in the late 1960s, just as the Vietnam War was heating up. When a third F-111 crashed due to the hydraulic control valve stem causing the aircraft to pitch up uncontrollably, the platform was pulled. Engineers recognized this design flaw in another forty-two Aardvarks.

After the problem was rectified, the platform entered service again in 1971. These aircraft proved to be powerful weapons during Operations Linebacker and Linebacker II and were given the name. “Whispering Death” by the North Vietnamese for their effective bombing skills. The F-111 series would later deploy during Operation El Dorado Canyon to conduct airstrikes in Syria.

Air Force retired its last Aardvark aircraft in the late 1990s to make way for newer platforms. Specifically, the F-15E Strike Eagle replaced the F-111 for medium-range precision strike missions, while the B-1B Lancer replaced it for its bomber role.

About the author: Maya Carlin, defense expert

Maya Carlinnational security writer with The National Interest, is an analyst at the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has written for many publications, including The National Interest, the Jerusalem Post, and the Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.

Image credit: Creative Commons.