>>27708078The F-111 never served operationally as an interceptor. It, like the F-105 Thunderchief, was a medium bomber with and "F" designation for largely political reasons.
The F-111 had all the earmarks of a dedicated bomber, including complex ground targeting systems, internal bomb bays and decided lack of air to air capability until the F-111F, and that was the inclusion of the ability to carry AIM-9s for self defense.
>The M61 cannonThe 20mm Vulcan was a leftover from the Navalized F-111B, which was supposed to be a fighter, but was never adopted. And the services had learned their lesson about gunless fighters/strike aircraft with the F-4 Phantom II.
Incidentally, the was a true dedicated nuclear strike variant, the FB-111A, which was a replacement for the B-58 Hustler supersonic medium nuclear bomber. The FB-111 had a longer range than the other F-111 variants. While the FB-111 was specifically designed for low level penetration carrying two gravity devices, it could carry conventional ordinance.
