General Dynamics/Grumman EF-111A Raven
The age and vulnerability of the EB-66 Destroyer electronic countermeasures aircraft led the USAF to begin considering a replacement in 1967. At first, the USAF strongly considered adopting the US Navy’s EA-6B Prowler, which was just coming into service. However, the Prowler was not supersonic, and the USAF wanted an aircraft that could survive penetrating heavy enemy air defenses. As a result, the USAF settled on the F-111A Aardvark in 1972: the aircraft was proven, it would be cheaper than developing an entirely new aircraft, the F-111A was already slated for replacement by the F-111D, and it had all the range and speed the USAF required.
Though the F-111 was built by General Dynamics and the conversion work would be handled there, Grumman had developed the ALQ-99 jamming suite that would equip the EF-111A. Indeed, the EF-111 would have the same football-shaped reciever antenna of the EA-6B mounted atop the tail, though because of the variable-sweep wing box, transmitters could not be carried in the fuselage; instead, they were moved to a ventral “canoe.” All bombing equipment was removed, along with the internal gun, and flight controls were wholly moved to the pilot’s station. Though the EF-111 could in theory carry AIM-9 Sidewinders for self-defense, it rarely would, nor could it carry antiradar missiles to allow it to operate in the Wild Weasel role. The EF-111 would be dedicated to ECM support, both in standoff jamming and accompanying strike packages directly to the target.
The EF-111 first flew in March 1977 and was initially nicknamed “Electric Fox,” but this was officially changed to Raven in 1983, when it entered service, though crews referred to it as the “Spark ‘Vark.” It was first used in combat during Operation Eldorado Canyon in 1986 against Libya, Operation Just Cause against Panama, and then against Iraq in the First Gulf War of 1991. Only one EF-111 was lost in combat, and strike packages with EF-111 support never lost an aircraft to SAM missiles during the war. Ravens would continue in service after this conflict, seeing use over Bosnia, supporting no-fly zone patrols over Iraq, and finally in Operation Desert Fox retaliatory airstrikes in 1998.
This was the last deployment of the EF-111, and the USAF retired its last Ravens in May 1998, ending not only the F-111 series in USAF service, but also (at the time of this writing) dedicated USAF tactical ECM aircraft. Since the retirement of the Raven, the USAF has relied on US Navy and Marine Corps EA-6Bs, with a number of USAF crews being crosstrained into EA-6B crews. Though there have been proposals for dedicated ECM aircraft, the USAF has no plans at the moment to deploy ECM aircraft.
Of 42 EF-111s built, there are four left in existence today. This is 66-0057, built originally as a F-111A in 1966; it initially served with the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Mountain Home, Idaho, and may have seen combat over Vietnam. It was converted to an EF-111A in 1975 and returned to the 366th, though it spent the 1980s assigned to the 20th TFW at RAF Upper Heyford in the UK. Back with the 366th by 1990, it was then deployed for Operation Desert Storm to Taif AB, Saudi Arabia. 66-0057 finally was retired in 1998 and flown for preservation at the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, where I saw it in May 2017.
At some point in its career, 66-0057 was named "Special Delivery" with nose art of a stork carrying a bomb. Sadly, she is not displayed with the art, and instead is somewhat anonymous; 66-0057 is painted in standard EF-111 colors of medium gray over light gray, though from the lighting at this angle, it looks to be overall light gray. The cockpit in the foreground is the crew escape module used by the Aardvark and the Raven.
General Dynamics/Grumman EF-111A Raven
The age and vulnerability of the EB-66 Destroyer electronic countermeasures aircraft led the USAF to begin considering a replacement in 1967. At first, the USAF strongly considered adopting the US Navy’s EA-6B Prowler, which was just coming into service. However, the Prowler was not supersonic, and the USAF wanted an aircraft that could survive penetrating heavy enemy air defenses. As a result, the USAF settled on the F-111A Aardvark in 1972: the aircraft was proven, it would be cheaper than developing an entirely new aircraft, the F-111A was already slated for replacement by the F-111D, and it had all the range and speed the USAF required.
Though the F-111 was built by General Dynamics and the conversion work would be handled there, Grumman had developed the ALQ-99 jamming suite that would equip the EF-111A. Indeed, the EF-111 would have the same football-shaped reciever antenna of the EA-6B mounted atop the tail, though because of the variable-sweep wing box, transmitters could not be carried in the fuselage; instead, they were moved to a ventral “canoe.” All bombing equipment was removed, along with the internal gun, and flight controls were wholly moved to the pilot’s station. Though the EF-111 could in theory carry AIM-9 Sidewinders for self-defense, it rarely would, nor could it carry antiradar missiles to allow it to operate in the Wild Weasel role. The EF-111 would be dedicated to ECM support, both in standoff jamming and accompanying strike packages directly to the target.
The EF-111 first flew in March 1977 and was initially nicknamed “Electric Fox,” but this was officially changed to Raven in 1983, when it entered service, though crews referred to it as the “Spark ‘Vark.” It was first used in combat during Operation Eldorado Canyon in 1986 against Libya, Operation Just Cause against Panama, and then against Iraq in the First Gulf War of 1991. Only one EF-111 was lost in combat, and strike packages with EF-111 support never lost an aircraft to SAM missiles during the war. Ravens would continue in service after this conflict, seeing use over Bosnia, supporting no-fly zone patrols over Iraq, and finally in Operation Desert Fox retaliatory airstrikes in 1998.
This was the last deployment of the EF-111, and the USAF retired its last Ravens in May 1998, ending not only the F-111 series in USAF service, but also (at the time of this writing) dedicated USAF tactical ECM aircraft. Since the retirement of the Raven, the USAF has relied on US Navy and Marine Corps EA-6Bs, with a number of USAF crews being crosstrained into EA-6B crews. Though there have been proposals for dedicated ECM aircraft, the USAF has no plans at the moment to deploy ECM aircraft.
Of 42 EF-111s built, there are four left in existence today. This is 66-0057, built originally as a F-111A in 1966; it initially served with the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Mountain Home, Idaho, and may have seen combat over Vietnam. It was converted to an EF-111A in 1975 and returned to the 366th, though it spent the 1980s assigned to the 20th TFW at RAF Upper Heyford in the UK. Back with the 366th by 1990, it was then deployed for Operation Desert Storm to Taif AB, Saudi Arabia. 66-0057 finally was retired in 1998 and flown for preservation at the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, where I saw it in May 2017.
At some point in its career, 66-0057 was named "Special Delivery" with nose art of a stork carrying a bomb. Sadly, she is not displayed with the art, and instead is somewhat anonymous; 66-0057 is painted in standard EF-111 colors of medium gray over light gray, though from the lighting at this angle, it looks to be overall light gray. The cockpit in the foreground is the crew escape module used by the Aardvark and the Raven.