Editing General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark (section)

{{Short description|Family of strike aircraft developed in 1960s}}
{{Redirect|F111}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= F-111 Aardvark
 |image= File:AFR F-111 air to air refueling.jpg
 |caption= An F-111 flying over the [[North Sea]] during 1989
 |type= [[Attack aircraft]], [[strategic bomber]], [[aerial reconnaissance|reconnaissance]], [[electronic warfare]]
 |national_origin= United States
 |manufacturer= [[General Dynamics]]
 |designer=
 |first_flight= {{Start date and age|1964|12|21|df=yes}}
 |introduction= {{Start date and age|1967|07|18|df=yes}}
 |retired= USAF: F-111F, 1996; EF-111A, 1998 <br>RAAF: F-111C, 2010
 |status= Retired
 |primary_user= [[United States Air Force]] (USAF)
 |more_users= [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF)
 |number_built= 563 (total);<ref name=Logan_p9>Logan 1998, p. 9.</ref> 76 (FB-111)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://sacmuseum.org/what-to-see/aircraft/fb-111a-aardvark/ |title= FB-111 total production |url-status= dead |access-date= 15 September 2021 |archive-date= 15 September 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210915140528/https://sacmuseum.org/what-to-see/aircraft/fb-111a-aardvark/}}</ref>
 |variants= [[General Dynamics–Grumman F-111B]] <br />[[General Dynamics F-111C]] <br>[[General Dynamics–Grumman EF-111A Raven]] <br>[[General Dynamics F-111K]] <br />[[General Dynamics–Boeing AFTI/F-111A Aardvark]]
}}

The '''General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark''' is a retired supersonic, medium-range, [[Multirole combat aircraft|multirole]] combat aircraft. Production models of the F-111 had roles that included [[attack aircraft|attack]] (e.g. [[Air interdiction|interdiction]]), [[strategic bomber|strategic bombing]] (including nuclear weapons capabilities), [[aerial reconnaissance|reconnaissance]] and [[electronic-warfare aircraft|electronic warfare]]. ''Aardvark'' comes from a [[aardvark|South African animal]] that has a long nose and hugs the terrain. It is an [[Afrikaans]] word that translates literally as "earth pig"—hence the aircraft's "Pig" nickname during its Australian service. 

Developed in the 1960s by [[General Dynamics]] under [[Robert McNamara]]'s [[TFX Program]], the F-111 pioneered [[variable-sweep wing]]s, [[afterburner|afterburning]] [[turbofan]] engines, and automated [[terrain-following radar]] for [[nap-of-the-earth|low-level]], high-speed flight. Its design influenced later variable-sweep wing aircraft, and some of its advanced features have become commonplace. The F-111 suffered problems during initial development, largely related to the engines. A [[fighter aircraft|fighter]] variant intended for the [[United States Navy]], the [[General Dynamics–Grumman F-111B|F-111B]], was canceled before production; it was intended for [[carrier-based aircraft|aircraft carrier-based]] roles, including long-range [[interceptor aircraft|interception]]. Several specialized models, such as the FB-111A strategic bomber and the [[General Dynamics–Grumman EF-111A Raven|EF-111A]] [[electronic warfare]] aircraft, were also developed.

The F-111 entered service in 1967 with the [[United States Air Force]] (USAF). The [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF) also ordered the F-111 and began operating the [[General Dynamics F-111C|F-111C]] in 1973. As early as March 1968, the USAF were deploying F-111s into active combat situations; the type saw heavy use during the latter half of the [[Vietnam War]] to conduct low-level ground-attack missions, flying in excess of 4,000 combat missions while incurring only six combat losses in the theatre. The F-111s also participated in the [[Gulf War]] (Operation Desert Storm) in 1991; the F-111Fs completed 3.2 successful strike missions for every unsuccessful one, better than any other US strike aircraft used in the operation. RAAF F-111s never saw offensive action, but were deployed periodically as a deterrent, such as for the Australian-led [[International Force East Timor]].

Being relatively expensive to maintain amid post-[[Cold War]] budget cuts, the USAF elected to retire its F-111 fleet during the 1990s; the last F-111Fs were withdrawn in 1996 while the remaining EF-111s also departed in 1998. The F-111 was replaced in USAF service by the [[McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle|{{nowrap|F-15E}} Strike Eagle]] for medium-range precision strike missions, while the supersonic bomber role has been assumed by the [[Rockwell B-1 Lancer|B-1B Lancer]]. The RAAF continued to operate the type up until December 2010, when the last F-111C was retired; its role was transitioned to the [[Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet]] as an interim measure until the [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II]] became available.