I helped intergrate Pave Tack, My uncle was an on site contractor. That was the main saving grace of the F-111,
besides it could do nearly Mach one at tree top level on autopilot.
Doing Mach One at 300 ft on autopilot was thanks to its innovative Terrain Following Radar. It also had a very powerful ground mode Attack Radar.
Both of these features, and of course the variable geometry wing and the crew escape capsule, were lifted from the F-111 and incorporated into the B-1A. (The crew escape capsule was dropped on the B-1B.)
The F-111 was an excellent aircraft for it's main mission of a penetrating, long range, night and all weather, attack aircraft.
It was never going to be a fighter for the Navy, but that was McNamara's idea, not General Dynamics' or the Navy's idea.