_67-037_with_Cannon-based_F-16_524th_TFS.jpg)
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. EF-111A Raven: Service Depicted: Air Force Command Shown: F3203 Camera Operator: STAFF SGT. SIMONS· Public domain
- 2. EF-111A Raven USAF Museum: National Museum of the United States Air Force· Public domain
- 3. EF-111A and F-111F in flight: Service Depicted: Air Force· Public domain
- 4. 430th Electronic Combat Squadron - General Dynamics EF-111A Raven (EF-31) 67-037 with Cannon-based F-16 524th TFS: United States Air Force· Public domain
- 5. An air-to-air left side view of a 42nd Electronic Combat Squadron EF-111A Raven aircraft flying past the Rock of Gibraltar during Open Gate '89. Open Gate is a Joint Chiefs of STAFF - DPLA - 31f4d084e9e4d2535b2fe40f7f559f91: Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center. 1994· Public domain
- 6. An air-to-air left side view of F-111E aircraft of the 79th, 77th and 55th Tactical Fighter Squadrons in formation with a 42nd Electronic Countermeasures Squadron EF-111A Raven airc - DPLA - f747a5a423e96591d0a1c0a0edb567b1: Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center. 1994· Public domain
- 7. EF-111A Fin pod housing ALQ-99: Camera Operator: SSGT ERNEST H. SEALING Service Depicted: Air Force· Public domain
- 8. EF-111A Raven at Cannon AFB: Service Depicted: Air Force Camera Operator: TSGT. JOHN MCDOWELL· Public domain
- 9. EF-111A Raven electronic communications aircraft wait for takeoff clearance prior to a mission in support of Operation Desert Storm. - DPLA - 8d8856b0bf53a1577f58998ca732e70f: Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center. 1994· Public domain
- 10. EF-111A Raven overflies tanker near Gibraltar: Service Depicted: Other Service Command Shown: F3236 Camera Operator: Staff Sergeant DAVID S. NOLAN· Public domain
what is it?
The General Dynamics–Grumman EF-111A Raven is a retired electronic-warfare aircraft that was designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturers General Dynamics and Grumman. It was operated exclusively by the United States Air Force (USAF); its crews and maintainers often called it the "Spark-Vark", a play on the F-111's "Aardvark" nickname. Development commenced during the 1970s to replace the EB-66s and EB-57s then in service with the USAF. Both Grumman and General Dynamics were issued contracts in 1974 to convert several existing General Dynamics F-111As into supersonic-capable electronic warfare/electronic countermeasures (ECM) aircraft.
How to recognise it: 2 jet engines · retractable tricycle gear · 19.2 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 49 years ago, in 1977.
- Top speed is 18.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- Faster than sound: up to Mach 1.9 (sea-level speed of sound ≈ 1,235 km/h).
- Wingspan of 19.2 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 7 African elephants (~6 t each).
- Range of 3,220 km: 18× Amsterdam to Brussels.
- Can fly 1.5× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).
jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1977-03-10
- introduced
- 1983
- retired
- 1998
- status
- retired
- number built
- 42
- role
- electronic warfare
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- makers
- General Dynamics
- engines
- 2× Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-3 initially, later upgraded to TF30-P-9
- length
- 23.2 m
- wingspan
- 19.2 m
- height
- 6.1 m
- max take-off weight
- 40.4 t
- top speed
- 2,350 km/h
- range
- 3,220 km
- ceiling
- 13,715 m
- landing gear
- retractable tricycle gear
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q987367, Wikipedia: General Dynamics–Grumman EF-111A Raven (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.