| EF-111A Raven | |
|---|---|
 An EF-111A Raven electronic warfare aircraft | |
| General information | |
| Type | Electronic warfare |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics, conversion byGrumman |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 42 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1983 |
| First flight | 10 March 1977 |
| Retired | May 1998 |
| Developed from | General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark |
TheGeneral Dynamics–Grumman EF-111A Raven is a retiredelectronic-warfare aircraft that was designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturersGeneral Dynamics andGrumman. It was operated exclusively by theUnited States Air Force (USAF); its crews and maintainers often called it the "Spark-Vark", a play on the F-111's "Aardvark" nickname.
Development commenced during the 1970s to replace theEB-66s andEB-57s then in service with the USAF. BothGrumman andGeneral Dynamics were issued contracts in 1974 to convert several existingGeneral Dynamics F-111As into supersonic-capableelectronic warfare/electronic countermeasures (ECM) aircraft.[N 1] The USAF had opted to develop a derivative of the F-111 due to its greater penetrating power over theNavy /Marine CorpsGrumman EA-6B Prowler. The resulting aircraft retained numerous systems of the F-111A and lacked armaments, relying entirely upon its speed and electronic warfare capabilities.
Themaiden flight of the prototype EF-111 took place on 10 March 1977; the type attained initial operational capability six years later. Delivery of the last aircraft took place during 1985. Across its 15-year service life, the EF-111 played an active role duringOperation El Dorado Canyon (Libya 1986),Operation Just Cause (Panama 1989) andOperation Desert Storm (Iraq 1991) amongst others. The type was retired during May 1998 amid the military cutbacks enacted under thepeace dividend at the end of theCold War. The withdrawn aircraft were initially placed in storage at theAerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) atDavis-Monthan AFB, Arizona; most EF-111s have since been scrapped while four have been put on static display.
In the late 1960s, theUnited States Air Force (USAF) sought to replace its agingEB-66 andEB-57electronic warfare aircraft. Options studied by the service included theUnited States Navy'sEA-6B Prowlers during 1967–1968.[2] However, the USAF desired a penetrating electronic jamming aircraft capable of supersonic speeds;[1][2] accordingly, in 1972, it decided to modify F-111As into electronic warfare aircraft as a cost-effective option.[3][4] At the time,Congress held particular enthusiasm for the type, making this decision politically expedient.[5]
During January 1974, the USAF awarded electronic warfare study contracts to the aerospace companiesGrumman andGeneral Dynamics.[1] Grumman was selected as the EF-111 prime contractor in December 1974, then was awarded a contract to modify two F-111As into EF-111 prototypes in January 1975.[3] The first fully equipped model, known then as the "Electric Fox", flew on 10 March 1977. A total of 42 airframes were converted at a total cost of US$1.5 billion. The first EF-111s were deployed during November 1981 by the 388th Tactical Electronic Squadron, based atMountain Home AFB,Idaho.[6][4] The final aircraft was delivered in 1985.[7]
The Raven retained the F-111A's navigation systems, with a revised AN/APQ-160 radar primarily for ground mapping. The primary feature of the Raven, however, was theAN/ALQ-99E jamming system, developed from the Navy's ALQ-99 on the Prowler.[4] The aircraft also utilized the ALR-62 Countermeasures Receiving System (CRS) as a Radar Homing and Warning (RHAW) System, the same system carried by all F-111 fighter/bomber models in the United States and Australia. The ALQ-99E primary electronics were installed in the weapons bay, with transmitters fitted in a 16 feet (4.9 m) long ventral "canoe"radome; the complete installation weighed some 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg). Receivers were installed in a fin-tip pod, or "football", similar to that of the EA-6B. The aircraft's electrical and cooling systems had to be extensively upgraded to support this equipment. The cockpit was also rearranged, with all flight and navigation displays relocated to the pilot's side, and flight controls except throttles being removed from the other seat, where the electronic warfare officer's instrumentation and controls were installed.[4]
The EF-111 was unarmed; its speed and acceleration were its main means of self-defense. It was not capable of firinganti-radiation missiles in theSuppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role, which was a tactical limitation. The Raven's engines were upgraded to the more powerful TF30-P-9 of the F-111D, which produced 12,000 pounds-force (53 kN) dry and 19,600 lbf (87 kN) afterburning thrust in 1986.[8][9] Between 1987 and 1994, the Raven underwent an Avionics Modernization Program (AMP), similar to the Pacer Strike program for the F-111F, which saw the addition of a dual AN/ASN-41ring laser gyroscope INS, AN/APN-218Doppler radar, and an updated AN/APQ-146terrain-following radar.[4] Furthermore, cockpit displays were upgraded with multi-function displays.[citation needed]
During 1983, the EF-111A achieved initial operational capability.[10] It received the official nameRaven, although the aircraft also acquired the nickname "Spark 'Vark" during its service life. The type's combat debut, performed by the20th Tactical Fighter Wing based atRAF Upper Heyford, took place inOperation El Dorado Canyon againstLibya in 1986. During this operation, five EF-111As flew a distance of 3,500 miles (necessitating fouraerial refueling actions) before using their electronic countermeasures to disrupt hostileair defenses while other USAF and USN aircraft bombed military airfields, barracks, and other Libyan military facilities.[11][12] Their next engagement came three years later duringOperation Just Cause in Panama; two EF-111As were deployed to jam enemy apparatus.[13][14]
During 1991, 18 EF-111As conducted combat missions during theGulf War againstIraq.[15] Typically, the type accompanied strike packages of coalition aircraft flying deep strike missions into Iraq, during which their jammers would disable Iraqi radars. The EF-111A was the only unarmed manned aircraft to fly so deep into Iraqi airspace.[15][16] On multiple occasions, Iraqi forces attempted to intercept individual aircraft and, on some engagements, several missiles were claimed to have been fired against them.[15][16]
On 17 January 1991, one EF-111A, crewed by Captain James Denton and CaptainBrent Brandon, achieved an unofficial kill against anIraqi Air ForceDassault Mirage F1, which they managed to maneuver into the ground, making it the only member of the F-111 family to achieve an aerial victory over another aircraft.[7][17] On 13 February 1991, EF-111A, AF Ser. No. 66-0023, call sign Ratchet 75, crashed[18] into terrain while maneuvering to evade a perceived threat.[19][20] killing the pilot, Capt Douglas L. Bradt, and the EWO, Capt Paul R. Eichenlaub. It was the only EF-111A lost during combat, the only loss killing its crew, and one of just three EF-111s lost during the aircraft's service.[21] However, it is disputed whether there was an enemy present at the time, as two F-15Es watched Ratchet 75 make violent evasive maneuvers and crash into the ground, with no hostile aircraft in the area.[vague][22]
During the mid-1990s, several EF-111s were deployed toAviano Air Base, Italy, in support ofOperation Deliberate Force in response to theBosnia War. Furthermore, the Raven also flew missions inOperation Provide Comfort,Operation Northern Watch andOperation Southern Watch in thePersian Gulf.[17]
The final deployment of the Raven was a detachment of EF-111s stationed atAl Kharj/Prince Sultan Air Base inSaudi Arabia until April 1998.[9] Shortly afterward, the USAF began withdrawing the final EF-111As from service, and placed them in storage at theAerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) atDavis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. The last EF-111s were retired on 2 May 1998, at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. These were the final USAF F-111s in service.[9][23]
Of the converted aircraft, three were destroyed in crashes, four are on display, and the other 35 were scrapped.[25][26]
Specifications are for EF-111A except where noted.
Data fromThe Great Book of Modern Warplanes[31]General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark"[32]Modern Fighting Aircraft[33]
General characteristics
Performance
Avionics
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
