Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a jet engine fighter-bomber jointly developed as the Multi-role combat aircraft - or MRCA - by Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom. It first flew on August 14th, 1974. International co-operation continued after its entry into service within a tri-nation training and evaluation unit operating from Cottesmore in Rutland in the English Midlands.
Variants
- Interdictor/Strike (IDS) - UK, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia
One of the world's most sophisticated and capable interdiction and attack aircraft, with large payload, long range and high survivabilty. The Tornado was cleared to carry almost all the air-launched weapons in the NATO inventory, including cluster bombs, anti-runway munitions, and nuclear weapons. Known as the Tornado GR4 in the RAF, which is an upgrade of the original Tornado GR1 featuring GPS navigation and the ability to deploy more advanced munitions. A major feature of the GR1 was its terrain-following radar, which allowed all-weather hands-off low-level flight, but current doctrine eschews extreme low-level flight and relies on inertial navigation with GPS updates rather than TFS. The GR1B was a maritime strike aircraft brought into service to replace the Blackburn Buccaneer and deliver the Sea Eagle anti-ship missile. The aircraft could only track targets via the missile's radar seeker. A minor variant of the GR4 is the GR4A, in which GR4's 27mm cannon is replaced by a reconnaissance sensors. The GR1 was delivered in a grey/green camoflage, but this was changed to dark grey during the late 1990s. In operations over Iraq some GR1s received a sandy pink scheme. GR4s participating in the 2003 Iraq War were painted in a light grey scheme. German Navy examples normally sport a distinctive black/blue/grey camouflage pattern. The UK is researching possible replacements under the Future Offensive Air System study, which could be a piloted aircraft, a UAV or a cruise missile-based system. Currently no other aircraft (in service or planned) matches the Tornado's strike capabilities.
- Air Defence Variant (ADV) - UK, Saudi Arabia
In answer to an RAF requirement for a long-range interceptor, an air-defence version of the Tornado was developed in the late 1970s. Its fuselage was stretched to reduce drag and allow the carriage of four British Aerospace Skyflash semi-active radar homing missiles (based on the American Sparrow) as well as additional fuel. Mk 104 engines, with longer afterburner nozzles, were optimized for high-altitude use. The IDS's ground-attack systems were replaced by a Marconi/Ferranti Foxhunter air-interception radar, and the port cannon was deleted. Despite extensive development problems with the Foxhunter radar, Tornado F3s finally reached service in 1984. In addition to the internal cannon, armament was originally four Skyflash and four AIM-9L Sidewinders, eventually replaced by AMRAAM medium-range and ASRAAM short-range missiles. Surviving aircraft have recently been modified to be able to fire the ALARM anti-radiation missile, and thus be able to take on the mission of Suppression of Enemy Air Defences or SEAD. There are also rumoured plans to equip the F3 with TIALD pods, giving them the ability to drop laser guided bombs, making them true multirole aircraft. The F3 is painted in standard air-defence grey. Although the F3 is capable of good high-altitude speed and has great endurance in stand-off interception, its high wing loading makes it substantially less agile than other modern fighters, limiting its dogfighting ability. British Tornado F3s are scheduled to be replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon as they come into service. Some original RAF F3s were loaned to the Italian Air Force as an interim replacement for the F-104 Starfighter, until the Eurofighter Typhoon enters service. However faced with delays to the Typhoon's In Service Date (ISD) the Italian Air Force has leased F-16s and returned the RAF aircraft. The
- Electronic Combat & Reconnaissance (ECR) - Germany, Italy (see picture)
The ECR is primarily a SEAD aircraft. The aircraft features an emitter-locator system (ELS) which is capable of locating enemy radar sites. The ECR is equipped with the AGM-88 HARM. Luftwaffe ECRs were delivered new, Italy converted 16 IDSs.
Specifications
- Crew: 2
- Wing Span: (Swing-wing|Variable geometry wing)
- At 250 deg. wing position : 13.91 m
- At 670 deg. wing position: 8.60 m
- Length: 16.72 m
- Height: 5.95 m
- Weight empty: 14,091 kg
- Weight Max. Load: 27,951 kg
- Engines:
- Two Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 101 turbofans, each with 37.7 kN thrust or 66.1 kN with afterburner.
- Newer types: Turbo-Union R.B199-34R Mk 103 turbofans, each with 38.48 kN thrust, or 71.5 kN with afterburner.
- Max. Speed: clean: 2,338 km/h
- Max. Height: 15,240 m
- Max. Range: 3,890 km with 4 external tanks
- Operational radius: 1,390 km
- Weapons
- three fuselage pylons and four swiveling underwing pylons for a maximum of 9000 kg of weapons, fuel, and ECM pods; inner wing pylons have shoulder rails for two AIM-9 Sidewinder or ASRAAM self-defence missiles
- (GR1/GR1A, IDS) two or (F3, GR4) one Mauser BK-27 cannon with 180 rounds per gun; ECR and GR4A have no cannon
Development timeline
- 1969
- 26 March - Panavia Aircraft GmbH formed by four partner nations, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and United Kingdom.
- May - Project definition phase, concluded in early 1970. Two aircraft designs result, the single seat Panavia 100, and the twin seat Panavia 200. Initially favouring the Panavia 100, Germany eventually chose the Panavia 200, the RAF's favoured aircraft.
- 1 June - Turbo Union Ltd. formed to develop the RB199 engine.
- July - Netherlands leaves project
- 1971
- September - Intention to Proceed (ITP) signed by the three goverments.
- 27 September - First test run of RB199 engine.
- 1974
- 14 August - First flight of prototype P01 from Manching, Germany.
- 30 October - First flight of prototype P02 from Warton, UK.
- 1975
- 5 December - First flight of P05 from Turin, Italy.
- 1976
- 29 July - Contract signed for Batch 1 aircraft.
- 1979
- 5 June - First Tornado IDS delivered to RAF.
- 6 June - First IDS handed over to Luftwaffe.
- 9 August - First Tornado Air Defence Variant (ADV) prototype rolls off Warton production line.
- 1981
- 1984
- 1985
- 11 July - First flight of RAF reconnaissance version, GR1A.
- 26 September - UK and Saudi Arabia sign Al Yamamah I contract consisting, amongst other things, of the sale of 48 IDS and 24 ADV Tornados.
- 1986
- 1989
- 1990
- 21 May - First deliveries of German ECR variant.
- 1991
- 16 January - RAF GR1s participate in Operation Desert Storm, the first stage of the liberation of Kuwait. ALARM missile and TIALD pod rushed into service for the war. Several were lost, primarily as a result of low-level strike missions to deliver the JP233 runway-denial weapon (now withdrawn). Low-level missions are vulnerable to anti-aircraft artillery fire and shoulder-launced surface-to-air missiles, while runway-denial was unnecessary due to the air superiority the Allies had already established.
- 1993
- March - Tornado Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) project relaunched - with reduced capabilites from a 1989 upgrade plan.
- 29 May - First flight of GR4 upgrade development aircraft.
- June - Al Yamamah II contract signed - 48 additional IDSs.
- 1994
- 14 February - First deliveries of RAF GR1B maritime strike version.
- 29 July - UK signs contract for MLU of GR1/GR1A/GR1Bs to GR4/GR4A standard.
- 1995
- July - First of 24 RAF F3s delivered on lease to Italy.
- 1996
- 5 March - UK MoD announced F3 Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP,) to allow carriage of ASRAAM and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.
- 1997
- 1998
- First CSP upgraded F3s enter service.
- 28 April - GR4 enters front line service
- 24 September - Final Tornado leaves production line, a RSAF IDS from Warton.
- 1999
- 24 March-10 June-- RAF Tornado GR4's participate in Operation Allied Force, NATO's air campaign against Serbia. German and Italian Tornados also participate in strike, reconnaisance, and SEAD missions.
- 2002
- GR4 deliveries completed.
- Flight testing and aircraft integration of Storm Shadow begins.
- 2003
- March-April - Operation Iraqi Freedom (UK portion- Operation Telic)U.S. led war against Iraq. - RAF Tornado GR4's and GR4A's play a prominent role, employing the Storm Shadow missile in combat for the first time. GR4's also employed Paveway (laser-guided), Enhanced Paveway (GPS guided), ALARM (Air-Launced Anti Radar Missile), and unguided bombs as well. One RAF Tornado GR4 was lost to fratricide when it was engaged and shot down by a U.S. Patriot missile battery. Both crew members were killed.
- 2004
- RAF GR4's and GR4A's continue to form part of UK contribution to stability operations in Iraq.
See also
