F-111 AardvarkGeneral Dynamics F 111 airplane model. Nicknamed the 'Aardvark' because of its long, slightly upturned nose, the F 111 evolved in response to a joint services requirement in the 1960s for a long range interceptor (US Navy) and deep strike interdictor (USAF). The F 111 was a multipurpose tactical fighter bomber capable of supersonic speeds. The aircraft was one of the more controversial aircraft ever to fly, yet it achieved one of the safest