The F-111 debuted during the Vietnam War and served venerably for decades. The US Air Force didn’t retire the F-111 Aardvark until the late 1990s. Yet, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) kept imported F-111s in service until 2010, raising the question: did America retire the F-111 too early?
The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark made her maiden flight on December 21, 1964, and was officially introduced into U.S. Air Force service on July 18, 1967.