This Cold War Incident Convinced the US it Needed a New Fighter Plane | Air Warriors | Smithsonian

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In May 1960, the USSR shot down a US spy plane that was hovering at an altitude of 12 miles. It was a wake-up call. The US needed to develop a new, low-flying strategy - and that would only be possible with a new plane. That new plane was the F-111, the largest fighter bomber in the US arsenal. It was flexible enough to deliver both low-altitude flight and supersonic speed. But it was its distinctive shape that stood out–flight crews dubbed it the 'Aardvark.'

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