Legendary: Meet the Unique (and Deadly) F-111 Aardvark The F-111 was a very unusual warplane that took on a variety of tasks during several major wars. Key point: The F-111 was born of a Cold War dispute between the Air Force and Navy. Here is how they came together to make this special jet. The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark was a low-altitude strike plane born out of a shotgun wedding between competing Air Force and Navy requirements—with Defense Secretary McNamara as the minister. Despite its troubled adolescence, it grew into a capable high-tech night bomber that lasted decades in service, noted for its sleekly elegant profile.