'' F-111C Aardvark - RAAF ''

The Australian Government placed an order for 24 F-111As on October 24, 1963 and this version was to be designated the F-111C. It was a hybrid between the F-111A, F-111B and the FB-111A, and to be equipped with the F-111B large span strategic wing (70 feet when fully extended). The first aircraft was delivered on September 6, 1968, but problems with the F-111A’s wing carry-through box caused delivery of the remaining 23 aircraft to be delayed until 1973. The first of these delayed aircraft finally arrived in Australia on June 1, 1973. They replaced the RAAF’s fleet of Canberra bombers and were operated by no’s 1 and 6 Squadrons based at Amberley in South East Queensland.

On June 29, 1993 Australia announced that it would purchase a further 15 surplus F-111Gs from the USAF to augment the 22 surviving aircraft in the RAAF fleet. The price was regarded as "bargain basement" at about $60-80million AUD plus$10-15 million AUD upgrade per plane. The last plane to be part of this order came from the AMARC (Aircraft Maintenance and Recovery Centre) Boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, Bu No. 68-0272. It became the first operational F-111G with the RAAF and was known as the Boneyard Wrangler, serial number A8-272. It arrived at the Amberley base on May 10, 1994.

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