General Dynamics F-111C

F-111C
An F-111C of the Royal Australian Air Force in 2006
Role Fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer General Dynamics
First flight July 1968[1]
Introduction 1973
Retired 3 December 2010
Status Retired
Primary user Royal Australian Air Force
Number built 28
Developed from General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark
Variants General Dynamics F-111K

The General Dynamics F-111C (nicknamed the "Pig") is a variant of the F-111 Aardvark medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft, developed by General Dynamics to meet Australian requirements. The design was based on the F-111A model but included longer wings and strengthened undercarriage. The Australian government ordered 24 F-111Cs to equip the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1963, but the aircraft were not delivered until 1973 because of long-running technical problems. During 1979 and 1980 four of these aircraft were converted to the RF-111C reconnaissance variant. Four ex–United States Air Force (USAF) F-111As were purchased by Australia and converted to F-111C standard in 1982 to replace F-111Cs destroyed during accidents. Australia also operated 15 F-111Gs between 1993 and 2007, mainly for conversion training. The RAAF retired its remaining F-111Cs in December 2010. In Australian military and aviation circles, the F-111 Aardvark was affectionately known as the "Pig", due to its long snout and terrain-following ability.[2][3][N 1]

The F-111Cs gave the RAAF a powerful strike capability but were never used in combat.[5] The aircraft went through modernization programs in the 1980s and 1990s, and the RAAF acquired improved weapons to maintain their ability to penetrate hostile airspace. Despite this, by the 2000s the F-111Cs were becoming outdated and expensive to maintain, leading to a decision to retire them in 2010 rather than 2020 as originally planned. The F-111s were replaced by 24 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets pending delivery of F-35 Lightning IIs in development.

  1. ^ Wilson 1989, p. 152.
  2. ^ "When pigs fly!" Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine USAF Air Combat Command, 12 March 2009. Retrieved: 30 December 2010.
  3. ^ Klesius, Michael. "When Pigs Could Fly" Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine. airspacemag.com, 31 January 2011. Retrieved: 3 February 2011.
  4. ^ aardvark (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary from "Dictionary definition: Aardvark." Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved: 2 February 2010.
  5. ^ Roblin, Sebastien (9 July 2016). "The F-111 Aardvark: Vietnam and Gulf War Warrior (and It Almost Killed Qaddafi)". The National Interest.


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