What You Need to Know: The F-111 Aardvark, a revolutionary supersonic, medium-range, multirole jet, earned the nickname "Whispering Death" from North Vietnamese troops during the Vietnam War.

-Known for its swing-wing design, allowing adaptability at various speeds, the F-111 excelled in precision strikes and stealthy, high-speed attacks. During Operation Linebacker II, its ability to evade North Vietnam’s formidable air defenses contributed to its fearsome reputation.

-Remarkably, it flew 4,000 missions with only six combat losses. Though overshadowed by aircraft like the F-4 Phantom II and B-52 Stratofortress, the F-111 remains a testament to exceptional engineering and combat performance, serving the U.S. and Australia until its retirement in 2010.

Here’s Why North Vietnamese Troops Called the F-111 Aardvark the “Whispering Death”

The United States Air Force’s supersonic, multirole jet, the F-111 Aardvark, had an inauspicious start in the 1960s, but it ultimately evolved into a lethal platform. In fact, it was such a useful weapons system that the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) used the plane all the way until 2010—decades after the Americans had retired the system. So popular was the F-111 Aardvark that it ultimately earned the nickname “Whispering Death.” 

America’s F-111 was named “Aardvark” because, understandably, it resembled such a bird, with “a long-nose and terrain-following abilities,” as my colleague, Harrison Kass described recently. A supersonic, medium-range, multirole jet, the Aardvark cut a destructive swathe on behalf of Uncle Sam (and friends) for decades after it was built.

Some Notable Points

Aardvark has the honor of being the first sweep-wing warplane to have ever entered production. Basically, with a sweep-wing the pilots can move the wings back and forth in flight to change the aircraft’s shape for whatever the various mission sets require of the bird. So, such a plane enjoys both maneuverability at low speed and better flight at supersonic speeds. 

This bird had a little bit of a false start but by the time the United States was fully engaged in the Vietnam War, the Aardvark had found its lethal groove. During Operation Linebacker II, derisively known as US President Richard Nixon’s “Christmas Bombing” campaign directed against targets deep inside North Vietnam, the Aardvark proved to be such an effective killing machine that the North Vietnamese nicknamed it the “Whispering Death.”

F-111: A Silent Death Dealer from Above

While it’s not known exactly why the North Vietnamese nicknamed the F-111 the “Whispering Death,” the assumption online has been because of the way that the bird would come upon unsuspecting North Vietnamese targets at supersonic speeds. The speed of the plane would usually prevent North Vietnam’s robust air defenses from being activated, thereby ensuring the success of the Aardvark’s lethality during the Vietnam War—and inspiring fear in the minds of a capable adversary, like the communist North Vietnamese. 

To show you how incredible the F-111 Aardvark was, particularly in a contested and dangerous airspace, such as the one over Indochina during the Vietnam War, of the 4,000 missions that the Aardvark flew in the war, only six F-111s were lost in combat. This plane was a real workhorse and is often overshadowed by other warplanes from that conflict, such as the F-4 Phantom II or the B-52 Stratofortress long-range bomber. 

But the Aardvark was possibly one of the most effective combat planes in the entire war, just based on the kinds of dangerous missions it flew and how few of them were lost during those dangerous missions.

Remember the VARK!

America’s (and Australia’s) “Whispering Death” dealers were finally retired due to their advanced age. Of course, they probably could have still flown. After all, advanced age has not stopped the B-52 Stratofortressesfrom being flown—and will continue to be flown by the US Air Force—well into this century, 100 years after they were first deployed during the Truman administration. 

The Aardvarks were a masterpiece of aerospace engineering that are far too often overlooked by their more famous cousin aircraft. We should never forget the incredible service record these birds had for the US military (and the militaries of some of America’s most important allies, such as Australia).

About the Author

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image Credit: Creative Commons.