General Dynamics F - 111 Aardvark The General Dynamics F - 111 " Aardvark " was a medium - range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber , reconnaissance , and electronic warfare in its various versions . Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics , it first entered service in 1967 with the United States Air Force . The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) also ordered the type and began operating F - 111Cs in 1973 . The F - 111 pioneered several technologies for production aircraft , including variable - sweep wing s , afterburning turbofan engines , and automated terrain - following radar for low - level , high - speed flight . Its design influenced later variable - sweep wing aircraft , and some of its advanced features have since become commonplace . The F - 111 suffered a variety of problems during initial development and several of its intended roles , such as naval interception , with the F - 111B , failed to materialize . USAF F - 111 variants were retired in the 1990s , with the F - 111Fs in 1996 and EF - 111s in 1998 . The F - 111 has been replaced in USAF service by the F - 15E Strike Eagle for medium - range precision strike missions , while the supersonic bomber role has been assumed by the B - 1B Lancer . The RAAF was the last operator of the F - 111 , with its aircraft serving until December 2010 . Development . Early requirements . The U - 2 incident of May 1960 , in which an American CIA U - 2 spy plane was shot down over the USSR , stunned the United States government . Besides greatly damaging Soviet relations , the incident showed that Russia had developed a surface - to - air missile that could reach aircraft above 60 , 000 feet . The United States Air Force Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) and the RAF Bomber Command ' s plans to send subsonic , high - altitude B - 47 and V bomber formations into the USSR were now much less viable . By 1960 , SAC had begun moving to low - level penetration . This greatly reduces radar detection distances ; and , at that time , SAMs were ineffective against low - flying aircraft , and interceptor aircraft did not have as large a speed advantage at low - level . The Air Force ' s Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) was largely concerned with the fighter - bomber and deep strike / interdiction roles . TAC was in the process of receiving its latest design , the Republic F - 105 Thunderchief , which was designed to deliver nuclear weapons fast and far , but required long runways . A simpler variable geometry wing configuration with the pivot points further out from the aircraft ' s centerline was reported by NASA in 1958 , which made swing wings viable . This led Air Force leaders to encourage its use . In June 1960 , the USAF issued specification SOR 183 for a long - range interdiction / strike aircraft able to penetrate Soviet air defenses at very low altitudes and high speeds . The specification also called for the aircraft to operate from short , unprepared airstrips . In the 1950s the United States Navy sought a long - range , high - endurance interceptor aircraft to protect its carrier battle groups against long - range anti - ship missile s launched from Soviet jet bombers and submarines . The Navy needed a fleet air defense ( FAD ) fighter with a more powerful radar , and longer range missiles than the F - 4 Phantom II to intercept both enemy bombers and missiles . Seeking a FAD fighter , the Navy started with the subsonic , straight - winged aircraft , the Douglas F6D Missileer in 1957 . The Missileer was designed to carry six long - range missiles and loiter for five hours , but would be defenseless after firing its missiles . The program was canceled in December 1960 . The Navy had tried variable geometry wings with the XF10F Jaguar , but abandoned it in the early 1950s . It was NASA ' s simplification which made the variable geometry wings practical . By 1960 , increases in aircraft weights required improved high - lift device s , such as variable geometry wings . Variable geometry offered high speeds , and maneuverability with heavier payloads , long range , and the ability to takeoff and land in shorter distances . Tactical Fighter Experimental ( TFX ) . The U . S . Air Force and Navy were both seeking new aircraft when Robert McNamara was appointed U . S . Secretary of Defense in January 1961 . The aircraft sought by the two armed services shared the need to carry heavy armament and fuel loads , feature high supersonic speed , twin engines and two seats , and probably use variable geometry wings . On 14 February 1961 , McNamara formally directed the services to study the development of a single aircraft that would satisfy both requirements . Early studies indicated that the best option was to base the design on the Air Force requirement , and use a modified version for the Navy . In June 1961 , Secretary McNamara ordered the go ahead of Tactical Fighter Experimental ( TFX ) despite Air Force and the Navy efforts to keep their programs separate . The USAF and the Navy could only agree on swing - wing , two - seat , twin - engine design features . The USAF wanted a tandem seat aircraft for low level penetration ground - attack , while the Navy wanted a shorter , high altitude interceptor with side - by - side seating to allow the pilot and RIO to share the radar display . Also , the USAF wanted the aircraft designed for 7 . 33 g with Mach 2 . 5 speed at altitude and Mach 1 . 2 speed at low level with an approximate length of . The Navy had less strenuous requirements of 6 g with Mach 2 speed at altitude and high subsonic speed ( approx . Mach 0 . 9 ) at low level with a length of . The Navy also wanted the aircraft with a nose large enough for a diameter radar dish . McNamara developed a basic set of requirements for TFX based largely on the Air Force ' s requirements and , on 1 September 1961 , ordered the Air Force to develop it . A request for proposals ( RFP ) for the TFX was provided to industry in October 1961 . In December , proposals were received from Boeing , General Dynamics , Lockheed , McDonnell , North American and Republic . The evaluation group found all the proposals lacking , but Boeing and General Dynamics were selected to submit enhanced designs . Boeing ' s proposal was recommended by the selection board in January 1962 , with the exception of the engine , which was not considered acceptable . Switching to a crew escape capsule , instead of ejection seats and alterations to radar and missile storage were also needed . Both companies provided updated proposals in April 1962 . Air Force reviewers favored Boeing ' s offering , while the Navy found both submissions unacceptable for its operations . Two more rounds of updates to the proposals were conducted , with Boeing being picked by the selection board . In November 1962 , McNamara selected General Dynamics ' proposal due to its greater commonality between Air Force and Navy versions . The Boeing aircraft shared less than half of the major structural components . General Dynamics signed the TFX contract in December 1962 . A Congressional investigation followed , but could not change the selection . Design phase . The F - 111A and B variants used the same airframe structural components and TF30 - P - 1 turbofan engines . They featured side by side crew seating in an escape capsule as required by the Navy . The F - 111B ' s nose was shorter so as to fit on existing carrier elevator decks , and had longer wingtips to improve on - station endurance time . The Navy version would carry an AN / AWG - 9 Pulse - Doppler radar and AIM - 54 Phoenix missiles . The Air Force version would carry the AN / APQ - 113 attack radar and the AN / APQ - 110 terrain - following radar and air - to - ground armament . A team of engineers at General Dynamics was led by Robert H . Widmer . Lacking experience with carrier - based fighters , General Dynamics teamed with Grumman for the assembly and testing of the F - 111B aircraft . In addition , Grumman would also build the F - 111A ' s aft fuselage and the landing gear . The General Dynamics and Grumman team faced ambitious requirements for range , weapons load , and aircraft weight . The F - 111 design also included new features on a production military aircraft , such as variable - geometry wings and afterburning turbofan engines . The F - 111A mock - up was inspected in September 1963 . The first test F - 111A was rolled out of Plant 4 , General Dynamics ' Fort Worth , Texas plant , on 15 October 1964 . It was powered by YTF30 - P - 1 turbofans and used a set of ejector seats as the escape capsule was not yet available . The F - 111A first flew on 21 December 1964 from Carswell Air Force Base , Texas . The first F - 111B was also equipped with ejector seats and first flew on 18 May 1965 . To address stall issues in certain parts of the flight regime , the engine inlet design was modified in 1965 - 66 , ending with the " Triple Plow I " and " Triple Plow II " designs . The F - 111A achieved a speed of Mach 1 . 3 in February 1965 with an interim intake design . Cracks in the F - 111 ' s wing attach points were first discovered in 1968 during ground fatigue testing - an F - 111 crashed the following year due to this issue . The attach structure required redesign and testing to ensure adequate design and workmanship . Flight testing of the F - 111A ran through 1973 . The F - 111B was canceled by the Navy in 1968 due to weight and performance issues , along with the need for additional fighter requirements . The F - 111C model was developed for Australia . Subsequently , the improved F - 111E , F - 111D , F - 111F models were developed for the US Air Force . The strategic bomber FB - 111A and the EF - 111 electronic warfare versions were later developed for the USAF . Production ended in 1976 after 563 F - 111 aircraft were built . Design . Overview . The F - 111 was an all - weather attack aircraft , capable of low - level penetration of enemy defenses to deliver ordnance on the target . The F - 111 featured variable geometry wings , an internal weapons bay and a cockpit with side by side seating . The cockpit was part of an escape crew capsule . The wing sweep varied between 16 degrees and 72 . 5 degrees ( full forward to full sweep ) . The wing included leading edge slats and double slotted flaps over its full length . The airframe was made up mostly of aluminum alloys with steel , titanium and other materials used in places . The fuselage was made of a semi - monocoque structure with stiffened panels and honeycomb sandwich panels for skin . The F - 111 used a three - point landing gear arrangement , with a two - wheel nose gear and two single - wheel main landing gear . The landing gear door for the main gear , which was positioned in the center of the fuselage , also served as a speed brake in flight . Most F - 111 variants included a terrain - following radar system connected to the autopilot . The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney TF30 afterburning turbofan engines . The F - 111 ' s variable geometry wings , escape capsule , terrain following radar , and afterburning turbofans were new technologies for production aircraft . Armament . Weapons bay . The F - 111 featured an internal weapons bay that could carry bombs , a removable 20 mm M61 cannon , or auxiliary fuel tanks . For bombs , the bay could hold two 750 lb ( 340 kg ) M117 conventional bombs , one nuclear bomb or practice bombs . The F - 111B was to carry two AIM - 54 Phoenix long - range air - to - air missile s in the bay . The cannon had a large 2 , 084 - round ammunition tank , and its muzzle was covered by a fairing ; however , it was rarely fitted on F - 111s . The F - 111C and F - 111F were equipped to carry the AN / AVQ - 26 Pave Tack targeting system on a rotating carriage that kept the pod protected within the weapons bay when not in use . Pave Tack featured a forward looking infrared ( FLIR ) sensor , optical camera and laser rangefinder / designator . The Pave Tack pod allowed the F - 111 to designate targets and drop laser - guided bomb s on them . Australian RF - 111Cs carried a pallet of sensors and cameras for reconnaissance use . The FB - 111 could carry two AGM - 69 SRAM air - to - surface nuclear missiles in its weapons bay . General Dynamics trialed an arrangement with two AIM - 9 Sidewinder air - to - air missiles carried on rails in a trapeze arrangement from the bay , but this was not adopted . Early F - 111 models had radars equipped to guide the AIM - 7 Sparrow medium - range air - to - air missile , but it was never fitted . External ordnance . Each wing was equipped for four underwing pylons . The inner two pylons on each wing would rotate to align with the fuselage , while the outer two were fixed . Each pylon had a capacity of . Various bombs and missiles could be carried on the pylons . Auxiliary fuel drop tanks with capacity each could be fitted . The design of the F - 111 ' s fuselage prevents the carriage of external weapons under the fuselage . But two stations are available on the underside for electronic countermeasure s ( ECM ) pods and / or datalink pods ; one station is on the weapon bay , and the other on the rear fuselage between the engines . The F - 111 ' s maximum practical weapons load was limited , since the fixed pylons could not be used with the wings fully swept . Tactical F - 111s were fitted with shoulder rails on the four inner swiveling pylons to mount AIM - 9 Sidewinder air - to - air missiles for self - defense . Australian F - 111Cs were equipped to launch the Harpoon anti - ship missile , and the Popeye stand - off missile . FB - 111As could carry the same conventional ordnance as the tactical variants , but their wing pylons were more commonly used for either fuel tanks or strategic nuclear gravity bombs . They could carry up to four AGM - 69 SRAM nuclear missiles on the pylons . Later swing wing aircraft . The F - 111 was the first production variable - geometry wing aircraft . Several other types have followed with similar swing - wing configuration , including : the Soviet Sukhoi Su - 17 " Fitter " ( 1965 ) , Mikoyan - Gurevich MiG - 23 " Flogger " ( 1967 ) , Tupolev Tu - 22M " Backfire " ( 1969 ) , Sukhoi Su - 24 " Fencer " ( 1970 ) and Tupolev Tu - 160 " Blackjack " ( 1981 ) ; the U . S . B - 1 Lancer bomber ( 1974 ) ; and the European Panavia Tornado ( 1974 ) . The Sukhoi Su - 24 was very similar to the F - 111 . The U . S . Navy ' s role intended for the F - 111B was instead filled by another variable - geometry design , the F - 14 Tomcat . Operational history . U . S . Air Force . The first of six initial production F - 111s was delivered on 17 July 1967 to fighter squadrons at Nellis Air Force Base . These aircraft were used for crew training . 428th Tactical Fighter Squadron achieved initial operational capability on 28 April 1968 . After early testing , a detachment of six aircraft were sent in March 1968 to Southeast Asia for Combat Lancer testing in real combat conditions in Vietnam . In little over a month , three aircraft were lost and the combat tests were halted . It turned out that all three had been lost through a malfunction in the horizontal stabilizer , not by enemy action . This caused a storm of criticism in the U . S . It was not until 1971 that 474 TFW was fully operational . September 1972 saw the F - 111 back in Southeast Asia , stationed at Takhli Air Base , Thailand . F - 111As from Nellis AFB participated in the final month of Operation Linebacker and later the Operation Linebacker II aerial offensive against the North Vietnamese . F - 111 missions did not require tankers or ECM support , and they could operate in weather that grounded most other aircraft . One F - 111 could carry the bomb load of four McDonnell Douglas F - 4 Phantom II s . The worth of the new aircraft was beginning to show ; F - 111s flew more than 4 , 000 combat missions in Vietnam with only six combat losses . From July 1974 until June 1975 , F - 111As of the 428th and 429th Tactical Fighter Squadrons were stationed at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base . They performed missions from there to Cambodia , Laos and other areas in Southeast Asia against Communist forces attempting to oust Cambodia ' s government . On 14 April 1986 , 18 F - 111s and approximately 25 Navy aircraft conducted air strikes against Libya under Operation El Dorado Canyon . The 18 F - 111s of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing and the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing flew what turned out to be the longest fighter combat mission in history . The round - trip flight between RAF Lakenheath / RAF Upper Heyford , United Kingdom and Libya of spanned 13 hours . One F - 111 was lost over Libya , probably shot down . F - 111s participated in the Gulf War ( Operation Desert Storm ) in 1991 . During Desert Storm , F - 111Fs completed 3 . 2 successful strike missions for every unsuccessful one , better than any other U . S . strike aircraft used in the operation . The group of 66 F - 111Fs dropped almost 80 % of the war ' s laser - guided bombs , including the GBU - 15 and the penetrating , bunker - buster GBU - 28 . Eighteen F - 111Es were also deployed during the operation . The F - 111s were credited with destroying more than 1 , 500 Iraqi tanks and armored vehicles . Their use in the anti - armor role was dubbed " tank - plinking " . The F - 111 was in service with the USAF from 1967 through 1998 . The Strategic Air Command had FB - 111s in service from 1969 through 1992 . At a ceremony marking the F - 111 ' s USAF retirement , on 27 July 1996 , it was officially named Aardvark , its long - standing unofficial name . The USAF retired the EF - 111 variant in 1998 . Variants . F - 111A . The F - 111A was the initial production version of the F - 111 . Early A - models used the TF30 - P - 1 engine . Most A - models used the TF30 - P - 3 engine with 12 , 000 lbf ( 53 kN ) dry and 18 , 500 lbf ( 82 kN ) afterburning thrust and " Triple Plow I " variable intakes , providing a maximum speed of Mach 2 . 3 ( 1 , 450 mph , 2 , 300 km / h ) at altitude . The variant had a maximum takeoff weight of and an empty weight of . The A - model ' s Mark I avionics suite included the General Electric AN / APQ - 113 attack radar mated to a separate Texas Instruments AN / APQ - 110 terrain - following radar lower in the nose and a Litton AJQ - 20 inertial navigation and nav / attack system . The terrain - following radar ( TFR ) was integrated into the automatic flight control system , allowing for " hands - off " flight at high speeds and low levels ( down to 200 ft ) . Total production of the F - 111As was 158 , including 17 pre - production aircraft that were later brought up to production standards . 42 F - 111As were converted to EF - 111A Raven s for an electronic warfare tactical electronic jamming role . In 1982 , four surviving F - 111As were provided to Australia as attrition replacements and modified to F - 111C standard ; these were fitted with the longer - span wings and reinforced landing gear of the C - model . Three pre - production F - 111A were provided to NASA for various testing duties . The 13th F - 111A was fitted with new wing designs for the Transonic Aircraft Technology and Advanced Fighter Technology Integration programs in the 1970s and 1980s . It was retired to the United States Air Force Museum at Wright - Patterson Air Force Base in 1989 . The remaining unconverted F - 111As were mothballed at Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis - Monthan Air Force Base in June 1991 . F - 111B . The F - 111B was to be a fleet air defense ( FAD ) fighter for the U . S . Navy , fulfilling a naval requirement for a carrier - based fighter aircraft capable of carrying heavy , long - range missiles to defend aircraft carriers and their battle groups from Soviet bombers and fighter - bombers equipped with anti - ship missile s . General Dynamics , lacking experience with carrier - based aircraft , partnered with Grumman for this version . F - 111B suffered development issues and Navy requirements changed to an aircraft with maneuverability for dogfighting . The swing - wing configuration , TF - 30 engines , AIM - 54 Phoenix air - to - air missiles and AWG - 9 radar developed for this aircraft were used on its replacement , the Grumman F - 14 Tomcat . The Tomcat would be large enough to carry the AWG - 9 and Phoenix weapons system while exceeding the F - 4 ' s maneuverability . F - 111C . The F - 111C is the export version for Australia , combining the F - 111A with longer F - 111B wings and strengthened FB - 111A landing gear . Australia ordered 24 F - 111s and , following delays , the Royal Australian Air Force accepted the aircraft in 1973 . Four were converted to the RF - 111C reconnaissance variant in 1979 - 80 . Australia also purchased four ex - USAF F - 111As and converted them to C standard . F - 111C aircraft received avionics , weapons system and other upgrades during their time in service . The RAAF retired its last F - 111Cs in December 2010 . F - 111D . The F - 111D was an upgraded F - 111A equipped with newer Mark II avionics , more powerful engines , improved intake geometry , and an early glass cockpit . The variant was first ordered in 1967 and delivered from 1970 - 73 . The F - 111D reached initial operational capability in 1972 . Deliveries were delayed due to avionics issues . 96 F - 111Ds were built . The sole operator of this variant was the 27th TFW stationed at Cannon AFB , New Mexico . The F - 111D used the new Triple Plow II intakes , which were located four inches ( 100 mm ) further away from the airframe to prevent engine ingestion of the sluggish boundary layer air that was known to cause stalls in the TF30 turbofans . It had more powerful TF30 - P - 9 engines with 12 , 000 lbf ( 53 kN ) dry and 18 , 500 lbf ( 82 kN ) afterburning thrust . The Mark II avionics were digitally integrated microprocessor systems , some of the first used by the USAF , offering tremendous capability , but substantial problems . The Rockwell Autonetics digital bombing - navigation system included inertial navigation system , AN / APQ - 130 attack radar system and Doppler radar . It also included digital computer set and multi - function display s ( MFDs ) . The terrain - following radar was the Sperry AN / APQ - 128 . The attack radar featured a Doppler beam - sharpening , moving target indicator ( MTI ) , and continuous beam for guiding semi - active radar homing missiles . It took years to improve the reliability of the avionics , but issues were never fully addressed . The F - 111D was withdrawn from service in 1991 and 1992 . F - 111E . The F - 111E was a simplified , interim variant ordered after the F - 111D was delayed . The F - 111E used the Triple Plow II intakes , but retained the F - 111A ' s TF30 - P - 3 engines and Mark I avionics . The weapon stores management system was improved and other small changes made . The E - model was first ordered in 1968 and delivered from 1969 - 71 . It achieved initial operational capability in 1969 . The variant ' s first flight occurred on 20 August 1969 . 94 F - 111Es were built . Some F - 111Es were based in the UK until 1991 . The avionics were upgraded on some E - models as part of an Avionics Modernization Program . The variant served in 1990 - 91 during the Gulf War . Some F - 111Es received improved TF30 - P - 109 engines in the early 1990s . All F - 111Es were retired to AMARC by 1995 . F - 111F . The F - 111F was the final F - 111 variant produced for Tactical Air Command , with a modern , but less expensive , Mark IIB avionics system . The USAF approved development of the variant in 1969 . It also included the more powerful TF30 - P - 100 engine and strengthened wing carry through box . 106 were produced between 1970 and 1976 . The F - 111F ' s Mark IIB avionics suite used a simplified version of the FB - 111A ' s radar , the AN / APQ - 144 , lacking some of the strategic bomber ' s operating modes but adding a new 2 . 5 mi ( 4 . 0 km ) display ring . Although it was tested with digital moving - target indicator ( MTI ) capacity , it was not used in production sets . The Mark IIB avionics combined some Mark II components with FB - 111A components , such as the AN / APQ - 146 terrain - following radar . The F - 111E ' s weapon management system was also included . The F - model used the Triple Plow II intakes , along with the substantially more powerful TF30 - P - 100 turbofan with 25 , 100 lbf ( 112 kN ) afterburning thrust . An adjustable engine nozzle was added to decrease drag . The P - 100 engine greatly improved the F - 111F ' s performance . The engines were upgraded to the TF30 - P - 109 version , later in the 1985 – 86 timeframe . In the early 1980s , the F - 111F began to be equipped with the AVQ - 26 Pave Tack forward looking infrared ( FLIR ) and laser designator system , which provided for the delivery of precision laser - guided munitions and was mounted in the internal weapons bay . The Pacer Strike avionics update program replaced analog equipment with new digital equipment and multi - function displays . The last USAF F - 111s were withdrawn from service in 1996 , replaced by the McDonnell Douglas F - 15E Strike Eagle . F - 111K . The British government canceled the BAC TSR - 2 strike aircraft in 1965 , citing the lower costs for the TFX and ordered 50 F - 111K aircraft in February 1967 for the Royal Air Force . The F - 111K was to be supplemented later by the Anglo - French Variable Geometry Aircraft then under development . The F - 111K was based on the F - 111A with longer F - 111B wings , FB - 111 landing gear , Mark II navigation / fire control system , and British supplied mission systems . Other changes included weapons bay modifications , addition of a centerline pylon , a retractable refueling probe , provisions for a reconnaissance pallet , and a higher gross weight with the use of FB - 111A landing gear . In January 1968 , the UK terminated its F - 111K order , citing higher cost ; increased costs along with devaluation of the pound had raised the cost to around £3 million each . The first two F - 111Ks ( one strike / recon F - 111K and one trainer / strike TF - 111K ) were in the final stages of assembly when the order was canceled . The two aircraft were later completed and accepted by the USAF as test aircraft with the YF - 111A designation . FB - 111A / F - 111G . The FB - 111A was a strategic bomber version of the F - 111 for the USAF Strategic Air Command . With Air Force ' s Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft program proceeding slowly , and concerns of fatigue failures in the B - 52 fleet , the service needed an interim bomber quickly . The FB - 111A was selected in 1965 to replace the supersonic Convair B - 58 Hustler and early B - 52 variants . The Air Force signed a contract for the FB - 111A in 1966 . In 1968 , plans called for 263 FB - 111s , but the total was cut to 76 in 1969 . The first production aircraft flew in 1968 . Deliveries ended in June 1971 . When the United Kingdom canceled its order for the F - 111K in 1968 , components for the 48 F - 111Ks in manufacturing were diverted to FB - 111A production . The FB - 111A featured longer F - 111B wings for greater range and load - carrying ability . The bomber variant was lengthened 2 ft 1 in ( 63 cm ) over the F - 111A . Its fuel capacity was increased by 585 gallons ( 2 , 214 L ) and it had stronger landing gear to compensate for the higher maximum takeoff weight of 119 , 250 lb ( 54 , 105 kg ) . All but the first aircraft had the Triple Plow II intakes and the TF30 - P - 7 with 12 , 500 lbf ( 56 kN ) dry and 20 , 350 lbf ( 90 kN ) afterburning thrust . The FB - 111A had new electronics , known as the SAC Mark IIB avionics suite . For the FB - 111A the system used an attack radar improved from the F - 111A ' s system , along with components that would be used on the F - 111D , including the inertial navigation system , digital computers , and multi - function displays . Armament for the strategic bombing role was the Boeing AGM - 69 SRAM ( short - range attack missile ) ; two could be carried in the internal weapons bay and four more on the inner underwing pylons . Nuclear gravity bombs were also typical FB armament . Fuel tanks were often carried on the third non - swivelling pylon of each wing . The FB - 111A had a total weapon load of . Multiple advanced FB - 111 strategic bomber designs were proposed by General Dynamics in the 1970s . The first design , referred to as " FB - 111G " within the company , was a larger aircraft with more powerful engines with more payload and range . The next was a lengthened " FB - 111H " that featured more powerful General Electric F101 turbofan engines , a 12 ft 8 . 5 in longer fuselage and redesigned , fixed intakes . The rear landing gear were moved outward so armament could be carried on the fuselage there . The FB - 111H was offered as an alternative to the B - 1A in 1975 . The similar FB - 111B / C was offered in 1979 without success . The FB - 111A became surplus to SAC ' s needs after the introduction of the B - 1B Lancer . The remaining FB - 111s were subsequently reconfigured for tactical use and redesignated " F - 111G " . The conversions began in 1989 and ended after 34 F - 111G conversions were completed . With the disestablishment of SAC , the FB - 111As and F - 111Gs were transferred to the newly established Air Combat Command ( ACC ) . They were used primarily for training . The remaining FB - 111As were retired in 1991 and the F - 111Gs were retired in 1993 . Australia bought 15 F - 111Gs in 1993 to supplement its F - 111Cs . They were retired in 2007 . EF - 111A Raven . To replace the aging Douglas EB - 66 , the USAF contracted with Grumman in 1972 to convert 42 existing F - 111As into electronic warfare aircraft . The EF - 111A can be distinguished from the F - 111A by the equipment bulge atop their tails . In May 1998 , the USAF withdrew the final EF - 111As from service , placing them in storage at Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center ( AMARC ) . Operators . " Tactical Air Command " " United States Air Forces in Europe " " Strategic Air Command " Popular culture . American artist James Rosenquist immortalized the aircraft in his acclaimed 1965 room - sized pop art painting entitled " F - 111 " that features an early natural - finish example of the aircraft in USAF markings . The painting hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City . The sound of an F - 111 flyby is on the Voyager Golden Record .