The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force decided to keep the classic F-111 Aardvark all the way until 2010, yet the US Air Force retired the aircraft in the 1990s, a nearly 20-year disparity which raises ...

The F-111, with its variable sweep wing, terrain following radar, military-rated afterburning turbofan engines and self-contained escape module, was one of the most technically innovative designs seen ...

Military aircraft criticized for cost overruns and technical problems often proved effective once tested in actual combat conditions. Peacetime evaluations missed critical traits like survivability ...