A Game Changer
The F-111 was the first American craft to incorporate specific design features, which made it multi-role capable.
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Nicknamed the Aardvark for its low-level terrain abilities and long nose, the F-111 was considered the F-35 of its day.
The US Needed a New Fighter Bomber
During the 1960s, the United States Air Force’s need for a new fighter bomber converged with the Navy’s need for an air-superiority fighter.
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After an American CIA U-2 reconnaissance plane was shot down over the Soviet Union, the U.S. military decided they needed a fighter bomber with deep strike abilities.
First Draft
Initially, two designs were created, one for the Navy and the other for the Air Force.
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The Navy program was later scrapped. However, the Air Force design went ahead, and soon the F-111 Aardvark was born.
General Construction Builds the Craft
During the early 60’s, manufacturing giant General Dynamics was chosen to begin constructing F-111.
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One of their biggest challenges was to create the airframe with a variable-sweep wing configuration that could be changed during flight to alter the shape of the craft.
The First of Its Kind
Essentially, General Dynamics was tasked with creating a craft that could maneuver at low or supersonic speeds, depending on the nature of the mission.
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The F-111 featured advanced avionics, which allowed the craft to conduct all-weather or nighttime flights close to the ground.
Specs And Capabilities
With regards to weapons, the F-111 was heavily armed with air-to-surface ordnance for long-range attacks.
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On top of this, the F-111 was equipped with the best internal weapons of the time. This came in the form of an M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon.
Nuclear Weapons on Board
The F-111 couldn’t carry any external weapons due to its fuselage design. However, it could carry weapons of mass destruction.
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According to reports, the Air Force bomber could carry nuclear weapons, including the B43, B57, and B61 bombs.
The Older Brother
A later variant of the F-111, known as the F-111C, could launch AGM-142 Popeye stand-off missiles.
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On top of this, it was fitted with an AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile and anti-radiation missiles.
Shaky Combat Deployment
The F-11 appeared to be in solid shape right up to the peak of the Vietnam War.
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However, it was soon discovered that the craft’s airframe was weak. This led to the loss of three F-111s shortly after they entered the war.
Solving The Problem
Engineers quickly began looking into what could be behind the problems surrounding the F-111.
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What they realized was that a faulty hydraulic control valve rod was the reason behind the problem. Upon inspection, the engineers realized that 42 airframes had the same issue.
Re-Entering Service
When the F-111 Aardvarks re-entered service a few years later, they made an impressive comeback.
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They played a pivotal role during the Operation El Dorado Canyon airstrikes in Syria.