F-111 Aardvark: The US Air Force’s Strike Anything bomber

Summary and key points: Introduced during the Cold War, the F-111 Aardvark was a groundbreaking multi-role fighter aircraft considered by some to be the “F-35 of its time.”

– Designed to address the deficiencies revealed by the vulnerability of the U-2 spy plane, it featured powerful TF30 turbofan engines and a considerable bomb-carrying capacity. Despite initial operational problems in the Vietnam War, the F-111 proved highly effective in subsequent missions.

– It played a key role in operations such as El Dorado Canyon, including the longest combat mission by a fighter aircraft in history, spanning nearly 6,400 miles.

– The F-111 remains a legendary platform fondly remembered by aviation enthusiasts and military experts.

F-111 Aardvark: The turning point in the multi-role area of ​​the Cold War

During the Cold War, the introduction of the US-made F-111 “Aardvark” was considered a game-changer. As the first aircraft to incorporate special design features that made it suitable for use in multiple roles, this groundbreaking fighter aircraft was perhaps something of the “F-35 of its day” when it first flew.

Although the platform has been out of service for nearly three decades, aviation enthusiasts and military experts alike still remember the Aardvark as a legendary platform.

A brief overview of the history of the F-111

During the Cold War, tensions continued to rise, and both the USA and the USSR were striving to develop and use the latest military technologies in all fields. The US-made U-2 “spy plane” was tasked with flying over Soviet airspace to gather intelligence.

When one of these reconnaissance aircraft was shot down over the USSR in 1960 by a new Soviet-designed surface-to-air missile that could reach higher altitudes, the US authorities were taken completely by surprise. To remedy this glaring deficiency, American engineers set to work developing a fighter-bomber that could carry out low-level strike and interception missions.

As a result of these efforts, two different variants were developed for the Air Force and the Navy. Although the Navy program was ultimately canceled, the Air Force continued to develop the F-111 fighter jet.

Technical data and capabilities of the F-111

Two fuel-efficient and powerful TF30 turbofan engines with new afterburner technology powered the Aardvark. In terms of armament, this is where the new multi-role fighter really shined.

A massive fuselage could carry bomb loads of up to 31,000 pounds and fuel for missions up to 2,500 miles, subject matter expert Kris Osborn explained. In its internal weapons bay, the F-111 could carry a 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon until that capability was removed in the early 1980s.

As Air Force Technology details, “The internal bay could carry Mk 117 bombs (340 kg) and there was room for up to Mk 118 (1,400 kg). The F-111 could carry a variety of free-fall nuclear weapons such as B43, B57 and B61 bombs. Due to the fuselage design, the F-111 could not carry external weapons. The F-111C can fire AGM-142 Popeye anti-ship missiles, AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles.”

Company history

Although the F-111’s first deployment in the Vietnam War was short-lived due to a significant defect in the wing stabilizers, this problem was quickly resolved and the aircraft was deployed again to support US troops in the conflict.

The Aardvarks were later used against North Vietnamese air defenses and proved to be a very capable platform. In fact, out of the 4,000 sorties the Aardvarks flew over Indochina during this period, only six units were lost. The F-111s were later used during Operation El Dorado Canyon when they were used for air strikes in Syria.

The F-111 notably completed the longest combat mission in history, flying nearly 6,400 miles from Royal Air Force Lakenheath and Royal Air Force Upper Heyford in the UK to Libya in thirteen hours.

About the author: Defense expert Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, national security writer for 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 been featured in numerous publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.

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