The F-111 Aardvark ‘was the destroyer of everything’

When the F-111 first entered service during the Cold War, it became the first multi-role platform to fly through the skies. The “Aardvark” also represented 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 time,” this groundbreaking platform proved a crucial asset in combat and is today revered by aviation and military experts alike.

Meet the F-111 Aardvark

Developed under the infamous Robert McNamara TFX programthe F-111 was truly a product of the Cold War. In a shocking incident in 1960, an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. U.S. officials were then unaware of the Soviet Union’s advanced surface-to-air missile capabilities. To overcome these advanced systems, the Air Force understood that a platform that could fly at higher altitudes was needed.

As part of the Tactical Fighter Experimental program, McNamara was commissioned manufacturers creating a single platform that could meet the needs of both the Navy and Air Force. General Dynamics was ultimately selected to develop the TFX fighter and agreed to initially produce 23 F-111 airframes.

General dynamics designed the Aardvark from the ground up, including equipping it with a pair of economical TF30 turbofan engines, supplemented with afterburning technology. In terms of carrying munitions, the F-111 was essentially an airborne “bomb truck.” The massive fuselage could carry bomb loads of up to 31,000 pounds and fuel for missions up to 2,500 miles. The platform would initially be able to carry the M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon in its internal weapons bay; however, this ability was later removed.

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

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

Operational history

The Aardvark made its operational debut in the late 1960s, just as the Vietnam War was heating up. When a third F-111 crashed because the hydraulic control valve rod caused the aircraft to rise uncontrollably, the platform was pulled. Engineers recognized this design flaw in forty-two other Aardvarks.

After the problem was resolved, the platform was returned to service in 1971. These aircraft proved themselves as powerful weapons during Operations Linebacker and Linebacker II and were named “Whispering Death” by the North Vietnamese for their effective bombing capabilities. Later, the F-111 series would be deployed during Operation El Dorado Canyon to carry out air strikes in Syria.

The Air Force retired its last Aardvark aircraft in the late 1990s to make room 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 at 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 had bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.

Image credits: Creative Commons.