Key Points and Summary – The F-111 Aardvark earned its legend as a fast, low-flying strike jet that outran air defenses and hit hard. Born from the 1960s TFX program, it paired variable-sweep wings with powerful TF30 engines, terrain-following radar, and side-by-side crew to deliver precision at speed.
-It set low-level supersonic records, flew Atlantic crossings without refuel, and proved its worth in Vietnam, 1986’s El Dorado Canyon, and Desert Storm—dropping early GBU-28 bunker busters.
F-111. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
F-111. Image Credit. Creative Commons.
-Variants like the EF-111A Raven jammed enemy radars. Retired by the U.S. in 1996 and by Australia in 2010, the F-111’s five-decade run showcased unmatched range, payload, and survivability.
The F-111 Aardvark Was One Valuable Warplane
The American F-111 fighter-bomber, affectionately known as the Aardvark, was one tough customer.
The F-111 was a versatile beast with ground strike capabilities in spades. When it came to outrunning enemy air defense systems, the F-111 was lightning-quick.
It could also dive rapidly and drop powerful ordnance to help soldiers and marines who were fighting for their lives in Vietnam. The fighter saved countless personnel during its service life.
The innovative radar system allowed for tracking multiple targets. The F-111 also featured variable-sweep wings for better performance at different speeds needed to dominate the fight. It could fly nap-of-the-earth missions rapidly and at low altitude over many different terrain features to confuse enemy radar and air defense systems.
What Made the F-111 Great?
The F-111 goes back to 1962 to a program called “TFX.” General Dynamics won the bid to develop the Aardvark.
By 1967, it was flying regularly for the US Air Force. The F-111 was the first fighter-bomber to have variable sweep wings. When the wings were fully extended, it could take off and land on short runways.
With the wings fully swept back, it could fly at high speed at low altitude and under challenging conditions, making it perfect for close air support. Then, at high altitudes, it boogied at a speedy MACH 2.2.
Over 500 F-111s Were Produced
“The F-111 was flown for the first time on December 21, 1964. In October 1967, the first version was delivered to the USAF Tactical Air Command at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Two years later, the first production bomber version was turned over to the Strategic Air Command at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth, Texas. A total of 562 F-111s were built. The first rolled off the production line on October 15, 1964. The last was produced in 1976,” Lockheed Martin explained.
Testers and Evaluators Were Impressed Early On
In 1966, the F-111 set a record for the longest low-level supersonic flight, according to Lockheed Martin. This warbird was a long-range animal. It once flew over the Atlantic Ocean from the United States to Europe without refueling.
Still Valuable in the 1980s
It wasn’t just the Vietnam War that the F-111 shone in. It flew a critical mission, Operation El Dorado Canyon, to take out targets in Tripoli, Libya, during Ronald Reagan’s administration in 1986. F-111F used the Pave Tack laser-guided bombing system to succeed in that mission.
The F-111 even served in Operation Desert Storm during the initial shock and awe bombing runs against the Iraqis, taking out multiple military targets. It flew 5,000 sorties during the First Gulf War and showed how excellent the airframe was for eliminating Saddam Hussein’s most important installations. The F-111 also dropped the first GBU-28 bunker-busting 5,000-pound bombs.
The U.S Air Force retired the F-111 in 1996. It was also used by the Australian Air Force until 2010. This allowed it to serve for an amazing 50 years.
Electronic Warfare? No Problem
There was even an electronic warfare version of the Aardvark called the EF-111A Raven. This bird was great at jamming and spoofing enemy radar on the ground and those sensors installed in adversarial airplanes.
The F-111 featured two Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-111s, each with 25,100 pounds of thrust with afterburners engaged.
This enabled a nearly 3,000-mile range. The F-111 had a side-by-side crew configuration, with the pilot on the left and the weapons systems officer on the right.
The weapons system officer had to remain constantly engaged to find all enemy targets and destroy them, while the pilot stayed out of trouble. The weapons system officer used the Pave Tack targeting pod to guide up to 24 bombs, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force wrote.
The F-111 was a high-quality airplane. Its longevity was unmatched. It excelled at bombing missions but could have been a quality dogfighter if called upon. The variable swept wings were a great innovation. The airplane was a combat monster, serving the Air Force with distinction amid numerous conflicts.
The Air Force probably didn’t know that the Aardvark would become such a great bomber.
It could fly low and fast, outlasting enemy air defenses. The F-111 also showed that it could land on short runways, complete long missions without refueling during intercontinental flights, and deliver the goods when the chips were down.
The Australians even flew it into the modern era. The F-111’s service during conflicts in Vietnam, efforts against state-sponsored terror, and the First Gulf War stand out. This was a highly versatile airplane, and it could dish out the punishment with the best of them.
Another significant aspect of the F-111 program was its quick development. In only a handful of years, the airplane went from the drawing board to daily operational status. It flew sortie after sortie in Vietnam and showed that the ground fighters could depend on its bomb runs to keep the enemy’s heads down while friendly forces maneuvered around the flanks.
Pilots, weapon system officers, and maintenance crews did their jobs valiantly on the F-111. It enjoyed an excellent combat record and, over the years, bombed the enemy into oblivion. This airplane had the kind of versatility and longevity to earn its unusual nickname and make the Air Force happy for decades.
The F-111 had few competitors from enemy air defenses and adversarial airplanes. The F-111 was a valuable asset in multiple wars and will be remembered as a great fighter-bomber that will stand the test of time.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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