Colour Conundrum

A Cancellation Conundrum - The RAF F-111s That Might Have Been Part 1

- Paul Lucas

Since beginning the Colour Conundrum-articles, the author has received a number of suggestions as to what might make a suitable subject for inclusion in the series. One such suggestion has been that following the publication of a small number of counterfactual articles, the proposed RAF versions of the General Dynamics F-111, the F-111K and TF111K might be suitable for similar treatment.

There is no room here to give a detailed description of the economic background and political machinations that led to TSR.2 being cancelled and the F-111 being ordered from the United States to take its place. Nor is there room to deal with the Sterling Crisis and Devaluation of the Pound Stirling that took place in November 1967 that led to the RAF’s F-111s being cancelled on 15 January 1968 as an economy measure. The focus here will be on those aspects of the proposed adoption of the F111 by the RAF that will probably be of most interest to readers of publications such as this.

At the time that the TSR.2 was cancelled in April 1965, the original RAF requirement of March 1964 for 193 TSR.2s had been progressively cut back to a total of 110. This figure was consequently used as the basis for the deliberations of the Joint Service Group on Requirement for TSR2/TFX Type Strike/Reconnaissance Aircraft in RAF. The Joint Service Group Report (JSG Report hereafter) was dated 19 March 1965 and formed the basis for the eventual RAF requirement for the F-111.

JSG Report The JSG Report noted that