The Ultimate bomber just got an upgrade! Today, we’ll be covering not one, but two new variants of the mighty F-111 Aardvark, including one from down under! Let's take a closer look at what the C and F versions have to offer.
F-111C & F-111F: Strike Aircraft for Great Britain and the USA at Rank VII
Features:- Modernized upgrades to the Aardvark!
- Guided air-to-ground ordnance.
- All-aspect IR missiles.
- Increased countermeasure capability (F-111C).
- More powerful engines (F-111F).
Meet the F-111C and F!
The next major update will include two new installments of the famous F-111 series, the domestic F-111C variant of the Royal Australian Air Force for the British tree and the final “fighter” variant of the American variants, the F-111F. Both of these variants take what the F-111A already does well and improve upon it in almost every area. Let’s check out what you can expect from them when they arrive to War Thunder in the Dance of Dragons major update!
Firstly, let’s take a look at the unique Australian variant, the F-111C. This version features a longer modified wing aimed at improving longer distance flights and reinforced landing gear. Along with this, you’ll get a huge boost to your defensive countermeasures, with the total for this variant being 240 flares / chaff, which is a massive increase over the base F-111A and F that will be plenty to help you out in battle. If that alone wasn’t enough to keep your enemies busy, they’ll need to keep an eye out on what you are firing back at them too! The F-111C features AIM-9L all-aspect Sidewinder missiles, far more potent than the B variants found on the earlier variant already in game.
Did you know? The F-111C in Australian service was affectionately known as “The Pig” despite the crews and engineers loving the aircraft.
Next up, we have the F-111F for the USA. This takes the base F-111A and provides a pair of improved TF30-P-100 engines that have a higher thrust output, meaning a more powerful all round performer. But the improvements don’t stop there! While the F-111A was limited to the AGM-12B Bullpup, the F variant introduces AGM-65 capabilities to the aircraft in B, D and G models. This adds some fire and forget capacity to the aircraft that will aid you in combined battles for sure. On the offensive in the air, the F-111F can rely on AIM-9L for missile combat.
Both the C and the F variants come with the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack targeting pod, which opens up the option of using guided bombs for the first time on the F-111. You can find GBU-10, 12 and 24 on both aircraft and the IR guided GBU-15 also on the F-111F. Both variants also feature an array of Mk 82 and Mk 84 bombs for conventional bombing and taking out bases.
Interesting: One of our long-time War Thunder Moderators on the community team, KnightoftheAbyss, worked on RAAF F-111Cs for over 12 years. We would like to thank him for his notes towards the historical section of this blog and recognize his service with the RAAF.
These advanced Aardvarks will be taking to the skies very shortly and will once again take the crowns (for now at least!) as the “ultimate” bombers in War Thunder, with some even fancier toys this time around. We hope you’ll enjoy these new aircraft, be sure to let us know! You won’t have too much longer to wait until you can take to the skies with them. Until then, stay tuned to the news for more information on what else you can see in the Dance of Dragons major update.
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.