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The result of teamwork between Grumman and General Dynamics, each EA-111A starts life as an F-111A that is stripped to its bare frame and rebuilt by Grumman into a highly sophisticated Electronic Countermeasures airplane. When the Air Force belatedly realized that they required an aircraft that would do what the Navy's EA-6B was already doing, it was fortunate that the tactical jamming system of the EA-6B could be mated with the F-111A airframe. The net result was the rather rapid development of the EF-111A a plane with superior speed and range.
Entering service in 1982, the EF-111A's have not yet been battle-tested, but constant training has kept this important weapons system ready for immediate use at any time or place. Powered by the TF-P-3 Pratt & Whitney turbofans, producing 18,500 pounds of thrust, the flight characteristics are remarkably similar to the F-111A loaded with 6,000 pounds of bombs.
As the EF-111A airframe is basically that of the F-111A, the inlets are the original triple-plough with splitter plate. The ECM equipment is housed on a pallet in the weapons bay, in the under-belly canoe and the massive rudder. Unlike the EA-6B which relies on wind-driven generators for its power requirements, the EF-111A uses 90 Kva engine driven generators. Despite its electronics complexity, the EF-111A has proven to be more reliable that its predecessor, requiring only 20 man-hours of service per hour of flight. It is planned that the Electric Fox will be operational with the Air Force until the year 2010.
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