Page 88 - History of War - Issue 30-16

OPERATOR’S HANDBOOK

ARMAMENT Left and below: The F-111’s
arsenal was formidable and it
The F-111 could carry up to four
was one of the fastest aircraft
nuclear weapons with two of the available that could drop nuclear
bombs being carried in the internal bombs at short notice
weapons bay. External ordnance
on the wing pylons could include
up to 1,500 kilograms of bombs,
missiles and rockets. To protect
itself, the aircraft was defended
with an M61 Vulcan internal
cannon. The M61 Vulcan is a six-
barrel rotary cannon, which can
ire 20 millimetre rounds at the
very high rate of 6,000 rounds per
minute. It was designed in 1946
and has been in service with the
US military since 1959.

“EXTERNAL ORDNANCE ON THE WING PYLONS COULD

INCLUDE UP TO 1,500 KILOGRAMS OF BOMBS,
MISSILES AND ROCKETS”

F-111s were designed to carry different weapons.
This picture from 1981 shows an F-111 mounted
with concrete penetration missiles

Left: M61 Vulcan rotary cannon An F-111A dropping
defended F-111s. Its design is based 24 Mark 82 low-drag
on the 19th century Gatling gun but it bombs over a range
can ire over 6,000 rounds per minute in Nevada in 1980

88