Rome. Airspace was denied.
Madrid. We intend to act within the framework of the established international legislation. Airspace was denied.
Paris. The French government expresses extreme concern about the current situation and intends to seek a peaceful solution to this issue. Airspace was denied.
London. Consent received.
… In the thickening twilight, Lakenheath Air Force Base is filled with the roar of aircraft taking off. Six links, one after the other, rise into the air and head south into the Bay of Biscay. Snipers of the night sky glide silently over the Atlantic. Somewhere in the distance, the line of the Portuguese coast gleams. The turn at the control point of the route, from the darkness the callsigns of the tankers departing from Gibraltar can be heard. Refueling - and again under the wing there is only a splash of heavy waves. Flight along the northern coast of Africa, course East. New refueling. At night, the lights of the seaside resorts of Tunisia fly away. Another control point of the route, turn by 90 °. At one forty-five CET, the “death line” was crossed in the Gulf of Sidra. Combat vehicles fold their wings and quickly go to WWI. Endless waves of sand rush under the wing. Ahead - the lights of a sleeping Tripoli. Having described a circle over the desert, the bombers lay down on a combat course …
The main target of the raid was the international airport of the Libyan capital, where 10 military transport Il-76s burned down as a result of the strike. The barracks of the Bab al-Aziziya military base, the training center for combat swimmers at the Libyan Naval Academy and the residence of Muammar Gaddafi were also bombed. The leader of the Libyan revolution himself was not hurt: having been warned in advance of the raid by the Italian Prime Minister, Gaddafi managed to take refuge in a safe place.
The skies over the Libyan capital were covered by 48 C-125 launchers, 48 mobile launchers of the Kub air defense system, as well as the outdated C-75 complexes, long-range C-200 and French-made Crotal II air defense systems. Despite the rather strong and modern air defense, the losses of the attackers turned out to be small - only one plane (the crew was killed). The success was facilitated by an unexpected exit to Tripoli "from the rear": the sighting and navigation systems of the "Anteaters" allowed them to fly safely over the night desert at an altitude of less than 50 meters! The Libyan air defense system, which turned on late, was immediately attacked by the US Navy: the work of the main strike group was provided by 27 carrier-based attack aircraft. As a result, when the noise arose and firing began, the F-111s were already being carried over the horizon. Seven hours later, the bombers returned to British Lakenheath.
Despite the stupid unmotivated aggression of the Washington administration, Operation Eldorado Canyon became a reference example of interaction between aviation of various types and branches of the military. The main "stars" of the operation were undoubtedly the F-111 Aadvark fighter-bombers ("Aardvark" or "Anteater") of the "F" modification and their modification EF-111 "Raven" (electronic suppression aircraft). Despite their "tactical" purpose, these vehicles made a non-stop flight 10,400 km long and successfully hit targets on another continent.
"Anteaters" flew over the four seas by no means with empty pockets. Each F-111 was carrying 8 thousand pounds (over 3.5 tons) of guided bombs.
The fact that "Anteater" is capable of bombing anyone has been known since the days of Vietnam."Pocket strategic bombers" were not very susceptible to air defense systems of the 1960-70s. Equipped with a terrain-following radar (AN / APQ-110, later AN / APN-189), they automatically reached the target at any time of the day, breaking through the enemy air defense at supersonic sound at an extremely low altitude. “Anteaters” had a phenomenal carrying capacity. Their full combat load, depending on the modification, could reach 12 tons! Today, none of the existing fighter-bombers can boast of such a result. And the combat radius, even without refueling, exceeded 2000 kilometers.
In Saudi Arabia, the first 20 F-111Fs from the 492nd and 493rd Squadrons of the 48th Tactical Wing arrived on 25 August. The fighter-bombers performed a non-stop flight with several mid-air refuelings en route from Leikinheath AFB to Typhoid AFB.
The English Channel, all of Europe, the Aegean Sea, Palestine, then the Saudi desert …
The aircraft flew with full combat load - each carried four GBU-15 2,000-pound guided bombs and two Sidewinder missiles, PTBs, underwing containers for shooting IR traps and dipole reflectors, AN / ALQ-131 containers were attached to the rear of the fuselage with electronic warfare equipment. Twenty more F-111Fs flew to Saudi Arabia on September 2. The flight was carried out with suspended adjustable bombs and Sidewinder missiles.
- Chronicle of "exercises" of the US Air Force for 1990 (preparation for Operation Desert Storm)
At the same time, the name “Anteaters” proudly contained the letter “F”, usually assigned to fighters, and the bombers of this type were enlisted in the tactical fighter wings (TFW).
However, overseas, any aircraft, at least slightly inferior in size to the B-52, is traditionally recorded in fighter squadrons. A striking example is the A-10 Thunderbolt anti-tank attack aircraft.
In contrast to the absurd classification of aviation units, the "fighter" letter in the designation of the F-111 did not appear by chance. The fate of this aircraft turned upside down: the concept of a heavy land-based and ship-based interceptor quickly turned into a powerful tactical bomber. A versatile strike aircraft that surpassed any of its peers in terms of "survivability" and is able to stand up for itself in air combat.
Despite its anomalous dimensions (over 20 tons empty weight), the F-111's flight characteristics were more consistent with a fighter than a bomber. "Anteater" set a speed record among all types of combat aircraft ever used by the US Air Force (2.5 M or ~ 2655 km / h at high altitude and 1470 km / h at the ground).
Fighter-interceptor F-111B on the deck of the aircraft carrier "Coral Sea", 1968
In terms of the established rate of climb, it was also not inferior to most fighters of the 60s. The variable sweep wing compensated for the bulky dimensions of the F-111, providing it with acceptable horizontal maneuverability and the ability to work as an interceptor.
However, given the level of technology and thrust of aircraft engines in the late 1960s, the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) program was a notoriously impossible project. The Air Force needed an "ultimate" fighter-bomber, built with the use of new design solutions. While the naval pilots agreed to compromises. The fleet was steadily dragging the project to the bottom: max. The takeoff weight of the "hot" version of the F-111B could not exceed 35 tons (according to the original TZ - 22, 7 tons), while the design of the deck interceptor assumed the presence of a radar "dish" with a diameter of 1, 2 meters in the bow!
As a result of the unsolvable contradictions that arose, the role of the heavy deck interceptor eventually went to the specialized F-14 Tomcat, he also got the layout with a variable geometry wing, TF30 engines, AN / APW-9 Doppler radar and long-range air-to-air missiles AIM -54 "Phoenix" (technologies created under the program of the heavy interceptor F-111B).
The F-111 project was completely taken over by the Air Force. The new bomber inherited high maneuverability, air-to-air missiles with a thermal seeker and an internal bomb bay formed on the site of the removed six-barreled cannon and a drum for 2028 shells.
The design of the "Anteater" was distinguished by an abundance of new and original solutions:
- a two-seater cockpit with an in-line arrangement of crew members (which simplified their interaction in combat conditions);
- a detachable escape capsule (which ensured the safe exit of the emergency aircraft in any range of speeds and altitudes with additional shock absorption and protection of the pilots upon landing. The F-111 became the only combat aircraft, since the First World War, whose pilots did not take a parachute into flight);
- variable sweep wing (from 16 to 72 degrees), as well as associated design solutions. For example, armament suspension pylons that rotate after the wing - for the correct orientation of ammunition in relation to the incoming flow and to reduce their drag (except for the two outer pylons - they must be released before the planes start folding);
- an all-weather sighting and navigation system, whose main task was to reach the target in automatic mode. Ability to low-altitude supersonic "throws" following the terrain; modification "F" additionally received an infrared sighting station AN / AVQ-26 "Pave Tek" (infrared and optical forward-looking cameras, coupled with a laser rangefinder, also used to illuminate targets);
- focus on the use of high-precision weapons. Any of the "Anteaters" initially had the ability to use laser-guided bombs, and the "F" modification bombers could independently illuminate the target with a laser.
To battle
F-111 aircraft flew over 4,000 sorties over Vietnam with six confirmed casualties. The best result among all types of aircraft used. At the same time, the pilots of "Anteaters" proudly noted that the combat load of one F-111 was equal to the load of four "Phantoms".
The "hunting season" of 1986 became brilliant - "mission impossible" or "Operation Eldorado Canyon". Unexpected attack on Libya from the territory of Great Britain, inflicted by the forces of tactical aviation.
The last step in his career is Desert Storm. According to official statistics, the F-111 again showed the best combat effectiveness among all strike aircraft (3, 2 successfully completed missions per failure).
66 F-111F bombers dropped 80% of the total number of guided bombs on Iraq, bombing 2203 targets, including 920 tanks, 252 artillery points, 245 aviation shelters, 113 bunkers and 12 bridges. Even if you divide these numbers by three, the result is more than impressive!
In addition to the aforementioned aircraft, 18 more "Anteaters" of the "E" modification took part in the raids on Iraq.
Among the special achievements of the F-111 program was the so-called. The "long modification" of the F-111G (aka FB-111 or Weapon System 129A), which resulted from the conversion of the F-111A into a strategic bomber (a total of 77 were built to replace the B-52 modifications C, D and F, as well as the supersonic B -58). The maximum take-off weight reached 54 tons, the fuel supply in the internal tanks increased by another 2,200 liters, and the total combat load increased to 16 tons. The main armament was four AGM-69 SRAM cruise missiles with special warheads with a capacity of 300 kt. The F-111Gs were in service until the late 1980s, when they were supplanted by the strategic supersonic bomber B-1 Lancer.
And now, despite outstanding services and records, the F-111 Aadvark was decommissioned from the ranks of the Air Force, as a morally obsolete relic of the Cold War. The last shock F-111F was decommissioned in 1996. Its modification, the EF-111 "Raven" electronic warfare aircraft, left the Air Force two years later, in 1998.
The only foreign operator of the F-111 was the Australian Air Force. A fact that once again confirmed the rule that not every successful example of military equipment finds success on the world market (it is difficult to call the F-111 an unsuccessful one). Nevertheless, the "Anteater" turned out to be excessively complicated and expensive for most of the US allies, and the capabilities of the F-111 were clearly excessive for countries that did not claim the status of superpowers and did not bomb targets on another continent.
Australia retired its F-111s in 2010. On this, the history of unique semi-strategic bombers has come to its logical end.
However, it is too early to put an end to this story: the F-111 was appreciated on the other side of the ocean. Soviet intelligence already at the end of the 1960s. provided a complete dossier about the new American "firebird", and was even able to gain access to the wreckage of aircraft crashed in Vietnam (in one of the MAI laboratories one can still see the "Anteater" rescue capsule). After reviewing the data provided, the Soviet designers made an unambiguous conclusion: we need to make our own analogue. This is how the Su-24 front-line bomber was born, which was created with an eye on the "Anteater" and the A-5 "Vigilent" (another superhero, in the image and likeness of which the box-shaped fuselage of the Su-24 was made).
Of course, there was no question of any blind copying, however, it is no secret that the concept of "Drying" with a variable geometry wing, high-tech aiming and navigation equipment and an in-line arrangement of pilots in a two-seater cockpit is a reflection of the ideas embodied in the F-111.
At present, the Russian Air Force annually receives a couple of dozen of the latest Su-34 tactical bombers, which also carry the "grain" of the very concept of "Anteater". A highly maneuverable tactical bomber based on a heavy fighter. With a two-seater cockpit with a transverse arrangement of the pilots' seats and perfect sighting and navigation equipment for low-altitude supersonic breakthroughs of enemy defense. However, this is a completely different story.
Who sold their homeland?
This is the question that visitors to the English-speaking aviation forums ask when discussing the F-111 that has sunk into oblivion. Who destroyed the army and aviation? Who wrote off these wonderful bombers ahead of time? And what to do now, and who is to blame?
Undoubtedly, over 30 long years, the F-111 is already outdated. But! He still did his job best. A battle-hardened warrior. Verified killer. The tactics of using the "Anteaters" and the ground infrastructure for their maintenance were fine-tuned to the smallest detail. The combat payload and range could have amazed any of their modern descendants.
The old horse will not spoil the furrow. What prevented the modernization of elite assassins - with the installation of modern avionics, night sighting systems (LANTIRN) and radar with AFAR, as is done on the ancient F-15. If desired, replace the engines with more efficient models, introduce a number of new technologies associated with reducing visibility, improving the ergonomics of the cockpit and increasing the combat capabilities of the aircraft. The huge take-off weight (45 tons) provided unlimited flight of imagination and endless reserves for the modernization of "Anteaters". Moreover, even a less honored and much less useful peer of the “three units” - the F-14 carrier-based interceptor remained in service until 2006. And in Russia, planes of the Su-24 family still fly.
Officially, the decommissioning of the F-111 was the result of the introduction of the F-15E Strike Eagle tactical bomber. The new aircraft, created on the basis of the two-seat training "twin" of the F-15 fighter, practically did not yield to its original progenitor in aerial combat (and in terms of avionics capabilities and the use of the "air-to-air" missile system, it was clearly superior to the first modifications of the "Eagle"). However, in terms of payload and range, it was behind the F-111, which it was supposed to replace. At the same time, in full combat "gear": with bunches of bombs, PTBs, electronic warfare containers and sighting and navigation systems, the F-15E is undoubtedly inferior to the "Anteater" in all main flight characteristics, turning into a clumsy "broiler" with enormous fuel consumption. Especially at supersonic, at extremely low altitude - modes for which the F-111 was specially created. It had a folding wing (sweep up to 72 °, ideal for the above flight modes) and an internal bomb bay (where removable sighting equipment was usually located).
But the main difficulties are still ahead. In 10 years the aging "Strike Needles" will use up their resources and will be forced to retire. And they will be replaced by …
While the Russians are massively building “normal” Su-34 tactical bombers: balanced strike vehicles well-suited to their missions, the US Air Force has little hope. Very soon, their main striking force will be the F-35, paired with promising heavy drones. But will they have the strength to replace the proven veterans?
The Yankees remain calm, explaining the choice by the new conditions of modern warfare. The aircraft's lower combat load is compensated by the high accuracy of their weapons. New fighter-bombers must retain their "fighter" skills in full, and their low visibility will allow them to operate confidently in any situation.
The Tactical Aviation Command will no longer have to fly over the "distant lands": the political situation has changed, now the Air Force can safely use air bases in any region of the Earth, incl. even in the post-Soviet space. During the last attack on Libya, planes flew from the nearest air bases: Sigonella in Sicily and Souda Bay on the island of Crete, located just 300 km from the Libyan coast. The need for "semi-strategic bombers" has completely disappeared.
Whether it is so or not, the future will show.
