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The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine fighters, which was jointly developed by the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. There are three primary versions of the Tornado, the fighter-bomber Tornado IDS (Interdictor/Strike), the interceptor Tornado ADV (Air Defence Variant), and the suppression of enemy air defences Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat/Reconnasiance).

Developed and built by Panavia, a trination consortium consisting of British Aerospace (then the British Aircraft Corporation), MBB of Germany, and Alenia Aeronautica of Italy, the Tornado first flew on August 14 1974, and saw action with the RAF in Desert Storm. International co-operation continued after its entry into service within the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment, a tri-nation training and evaluation unit operating from RAF Cottesmore in Rutland in the English Midlands. Including all variants, 992 aircraft were built for the three partner nations and Saudi Arabia. Though still in service, plans are currently underway to replace the aircraft.

Development

During the 1960s, aeronautical designers looked to variable geometry designs to gain the maneuverability and efficient cruise of straight wings with the speed of swept-wing designs. Britain and France initiated the AFVG (Anglo French Variable Geometry) project in 1965, which ended with French withdrawal in 1967. In 1968, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, and Canada, facing the retirement of the F-104, formed a working group to examine replacements, initially called the Multi Role Aircraft (MRA), and later called the Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA). Britain joined the MRCA group in 1968, and a memorandum of agreement was drafted between Britain, Germany, and Italy The program was intended to produce a single-seat replacement for the F-104G, and a 2-seat strike craft for Britain and Germany. Canada and Belgium pulled out in 1969. The four remaining partner nations - United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, formed Panavia Aircraft GmbH on 26 March, 1969, though the Netherlands would pull out in 1970. The United Kingdom and Germany each had a 42.5% stake, with the remaining 15% going to Italy. The scope of work for production was also agreed upon - the front fuselage and tail assemby in England, the center fuselage in Germany, and the wings in Italy. A separate multinational company, Turbo Union, was formed in June 1970 to develop and build the RB199 engines for the aircraft, with ownership similarly split 40% Rolls-Royce, 40% MTU, and 20% FIAT.

At the conclusion of the project definition phase in May 1970, the concepts were reduced to two designs; a single seat Panavia 100 which Germany initially preferred, and the twin seat Panavia 200 which the RAF preferrend and which would become the Tornado. At this point, the aircraft was intended solely for the low-level strike mission. The RAF decided it needed an air defence fighter, and initiated the F2 variant. Though seriously flawed, its shortcomings were quickly corrected for the F3.

Wingsweep

The Tornado was originally designed as a low-level supersonic ground attack bomber, capable of taking off and landing in short distances. This requires good high-speed and low-speed flying characteristics. In general, an aircraft which is designed to fly at high speeds usually has poor low-speed characteristics. In order to achieve the desired high-speed performance, an aircraft has a highly swept or ‘delta’ wing platform. However, these wing designs are very inefficient at low speeds where unswept wing planforms are required. In order for an aircraft to be operated efficiently at both high and low speeds, variable wing sweep is a desirable feature; this was incorporated into the Tornado design.

When the wings are swept back, the Tornado GR4 increases its high-speed low-level capability by reducing drag. When sweeping, the wings partially slide into the fuselage, reducing the exposed wing area. This gives the aircraft a low gust response in turbulent low-level winds. This not only makes flight much more comfortable for the aircrew but importantly it makes the aircraft a more stable platform from which to aim and deliver unguided weapons at low-level.

The aircraft was designed to be land-based and operate from large airfields that were considered to be vulnerable to aerial attack. Therefore, during the development of the aircraft, short field landing capability was considered essential in order to enable the aircraft to operate from short strips on potentially damaged runways and taxiways. With the wings swept fully forwards the Tornado GR4 generates greater lift because of the increased exposed wing area and the utility of full-span flaps and slats. This gives greater lift at lower speeds, reducing the minimum landing speed required and therefore shorter landing distances.

In general, when the pilot wants to fly at low speed, they sweep the wings forward (through a selection lever in the cockpit) to maximise lift, and when flying faster they sweep the wings further back. The Tornado GR4 flies at one of 3 levels of wing sweep: 25, 45 and 67 degrees of sweep. There is a corresponding speed range that is appropriate for each level of wing sweep; these change with the configuration of stores on the aircraft, as they directly affect the lift and drag characteristics.

Timeline

  • 1971
    • September - Intention to Proceed (ITP) signed by the three governments.
    • 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
  • 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
    • May - UK Ministry of Defence issues requirement for first Tornado upgrade project.
    • 5 November - First delivery of interim Tornado F2 standard to RAF.
  • 1985
    • 11 July - First flight of RAF reconnaissance version, GR1A.

Variants

There are three primary subvariants, the Interdictor/Strike (IDS), the Air Defence Variant (ADV), and the Electronic Combat/Reconnasiance (ECR), with 80% commonality between the airframes.

Interdictor/Strike (IDS)

The Tornado IDS is operated by Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's most sophisticated and capable interdiction and attack aircraft, with a large payload, long range and high survivability.

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. The aircraft also has a limited air-to-air capability with Sidewinder AAMs. RAF Tornadoes are designated by the GR series. The GR1 was delivered in a gunmetal grey/olive drab green camouflage, 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/gunmetal grey camouflage pattern.

The RAF is investigating replacements. This could be a manned aircraft, a UAV or a cruise missile (possibly Storm Shadow) based weapons system. Options for manned aircraft include modified versions of the Eurofighter Typhoon or the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. If selected the Typhoon would likely be modified for internal weapons carriage and increased internal fuel capacity. Currently no other Western aircraft (in service or planned) matches the Tornado's strike capabilities.

RAF Tornado GR.1
The RAF Tornado GR.1 was the first generation version of the Panavia Tornado strike aircraft of the Royal Air Force. The first of 228 GR1s was delivered on June 5 1979 and the type entered service in the early 1980s. 142 aircraft were upgraded to GR4 standard from 1997 to 2002, after which time the GR.1 designation was abandoned.

The Tornado was designed for ultra-low level penetration strikes on Warsaw Pact targets in Europe using both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons, e.g WE.177. However, the end of the Cold War precluded it from ever seeing that use. A major feature of the GR.1 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.

Its actual combat debut came in 1991 in the Gulf War. Nearly 60 GR1s were deployed by the United Kingdom to bases in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The main initial task of the GR.1s was to use the JP233 runway denial weapon on Iraqi airfields. Flying a supersonic speeds at 50 to 100 feet above the ground proved costly for the Royal Air Force, as six aircraft were lost to Iraqi defences.

Following the end of the initial phase of the war, the GR.1s were switched to medium level strike missions. However they lacked both equipment and training to complete these missions properly. In an emergency deployment, the UK sent out a detachment of Blackburn Buccaneer aircraft equipped with the TIALD laser designator, allowing the GR.1s to drop precision guided weapons. A further crash program was initiated which saw some GR.1s fitted with the TIALD system.

In the aftermath of the war, British forces remained in the Gulf, with GR1s being based at Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait for operations over the southern no fly zone. GR.1s based there took part in Operation Desert Fox in 1998.

1999 saw further action for the GR.1 in the Kosovo War. Aircraft operated from RAF Bruggen in Germany during the first part of the war, flying precision strike missions. They later moved to a base on Corsica shortly before the war ended to bring them closer to the combat zone.

Following the Kosovo War, the GR.1 was phased out as more and more aircraft were upgraded to the GR.4 standard. Shortly after the turn of the century this process was complete.

RAF/RSAF Tornado GR.1A
The GR.1A was a reconnaissance variant equipped with the internally mounted TIRRS (Tornado Infra-Red Reconnaissance System), one on each side of the fuselage and a single IRLS (Infra-Red LineScan) reconnaissance sensor mounted on the underside of the fuselage. The sensor package replaced the 27 mm cannon. The RAF ordered 30 airframes, either as rebuilds of GR.1's or as new airframes. It is also in service with the Saudi Air Force.

RAF Tornado GR.1B
The Tornado GR.1B was a specialised anti-shipping variant of the RAF Tornado GR.1. Based in Scotland at RAF Lossiemouth, they replaced the Blackburn Buccaneer in the anti-shipping role, delivering the Sea Eagle anti-ship missile. It did not have the ability to track shipping with its radar and relied on the missile's seeker for target acquisition.

When the Tornado GR.1 strike aircraft of the Royal Air Force were updated to the GR.4 standard in the late 1990s there was no corresponding GR.4B version of the GR.4. It was judged that a specialised anti-shipping variant of the aircraft was no longer needed as the threat from surface warships the GR.1B was designed to operate against had decreased, and also because the Sea Eagle missile was coming towards the end of its shelf-life and there were no plans to replace it due to the cost of doing so.

RAF Tornado GR.4
As early as 1984 the UK Ministry of Defence began studies of a Mid-Life Update (MLU) of the aircraft to rectify shortcomings of the GR.1. This update, to Tornado GR.4 standard would improve capability in the medium level role while maintaining the Tornado's exceptional low-level penetration capability. The GR.4 upgrade was not approved until 1994, which was revised to include lessons learned from the GR.1's performance in the 1991 Gulf War. One major change was the move from low level penetration to medium level attacks, while maintaining the low level capability. The contracts were signed with British Aerospace (later BAE Systems) in 1994 for the upgrade of 142 GR.1s to GR.4 standard, work began in 1996 and was finished in 2003.

Upgrades to the more than twenty-year old aircraft included FLIR (Forward-Looking InfraRed), a wide-angle HUD (Heads-Up Display), improved cockpit displays, NVG (Night Vision Goggles) capabilities, new avionics and weapons systems, updated computer systems, and a Global Positioning System receiver. The updated weapons system allowed integration of the latest offensive weapons, for example the Storm Shadow and Brimstone missiles and reconnaissance equipment such as the RAPTOR pod.

RAF Tornado GR.4A
The reconnaissance variant of the GR.4 is the Tornado GR.4A. It retains all the offensive capabilities of the GR4, and received all of the upgrades of the GR.1A standard. With the upgrade of the GR.1 to GR.4 standard, similarly the GR.1A became the GR.4A. 25 aircraft were upgraded, work beginning in 1996 and finished in 2003.

Air Defence Variant (ADV)

The Tornado ADV is operated by the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The aircraft was developed to meet an RAF requirement for a long-range interceptor. The major differences with the IDS include a fuselage stretch of 1.36m to reduce drag and allow the carriage of four Skyflash semi-active radar homing missiles as well as additional fuel. The Mk 104 engines were optimized for high-altitude use with longer afterburner nozzles. The IDS's ground-attack systems were replaced by a Marconi/Ferranti AI-24 Foxhunter air-interception radar, housed in a radome extended by 2.16m. The port cannon was also deleted.

Despite extensive development problems with the Foxhunter radar, Tornado F.3s finally reached service in 1984. In addition to the internal cannon, armament was originally four Skyflash and four AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles, eventually replaced by AMRAAM medium-range and ASRAAM short-range weapons. Because of the narrowness of the centre fuselage, the recessed Skyflash/AMRAAM launchers are staggered.

The Tornado ADV has been criticised for its lack of "true" fighter performance. However to criticise the aircraft for this is to misunderstand the mission for which it was developed. The F.3 was designed to fly and patrol far from base over the North Sea and Northern Atlantic and to intercept its targets at long range - not to have significant dogfighting capabilities.

Some original RAF F.3s were loaned to the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (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 Aeronautica Militare Italiana has leased F-16s and returned the RAF aircraft.

British Tornado F.3s are scheduled to be replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon as they come into service. RSAF aircraft are likely to be replaced by the Typhoon, Dassault Rafale or Boeing F-15 Eagle.

RAF Tornado F.2
The Tornado F.2 was the abortive first generation of the air superiority version (ADV) of the Panavia Tornado in Royal Air Force service. Only 18 were ever produced, as serious problems were discovered with the Foxhunter radar. The problem was so serious that the radomes of the aircraft were filled with concrete and lead ballast as an interim measure until they could be upgraded to the newer F.3 standard. The concrete radar was nicknamed Blue Circle, which was both in line with British radar nomenclature and a play on a British brand of concrete called Blue Circle. These aircraft were used primarily for training until they were upgraded or retired.

The F.2 first flew on March 5, 1984, was introduced into service in 1984, and its short career came to an end four years later when the new F.3s came into the RAF. Some F.2 airframes were later updated to F.3 standard as attrition replacements.

RAF Tornado F.3
The Tornado F.3 entered service in July 1986. 152 F.3's were ordered, primarily to replace the Lightning F.6 and Phantom FGR2. The F.3's primary weapons when it entered service were the AIM-9 Sidewinder and Skyflash, a British upgrade of the American AIM-7 Sparrow missile.

It made its combat debut in the 1991 Gulf War. 18 aircraft deployed to Dhahran in Saudi Arabia, however they did not get the opportunity to engage any enemy aircraft. The F.3 lacked modern IFF and a full suite of defensive aids and thus flew patrols further back from Iraqi airspace where encounters with enemy aircraft were less likely. After 1991, combat operations continued as the no-fly zones over Iraq were patrolled. The Tornados operated over the south of the country, flying from Saudi Arabia under Operation Resinate South. On average, six aircraft were involved. These operations continued right up until 2003, when Iraq was invaded again. Operation Telic saw 14 F.3's deployed to Saudi Arabia. The F.3's (of 43(F) & 111(F) Sqns) were, unlike during the 91 Gulf War, deployed deep into Iraq both before and after the 'shock and awe' air strikes. Again, no air-to-air victories were scored, although the Iraqi Air Force flew no sorties at all during the campaign in 2003.

= Lease to Italy
= In the early 1990s the Italian Air Force (AMI) identified a requirement for a "bridging fighter" to boost its air defence capabilities pending introduction of the Eurofighter Typhoon. These fighters were to operate alongside the service's F-104 Starfighter which was approaching obsolesence, particularly with regard to multinational and coalition operations. The Tornado ADV was selected from, amongst others, the F-16. In 1994 Italy announced its intention to lease 24 Tornado F/3s from the RAF for a period of ten years. At this time the Eurofighter Typhoon was expected to begin entry into service around 2000.

First training of AMI pilots began in March 1995 at RAF Coningsby while technicians gained experience at RAF Cottesmore and Coningsby. The first aircraft was accepted on 5 July 1995 and flown to its Italian base the same day. Delivery of the first batch was completed by 1996. The second batch was delivered between February and July 1997 and these aircraft were of a slightly higher specification.

AMI Tornados flew combat air patrols during Operation Allied Force, the NATO air campaign against Yugoslavia in early 1999.

In 2000, with major delays hampering the Eurofighter, the AMI began a search for another interim fighter. While the Tornado itself was considered, any long term extension to the lease would have involved upgrade to RAF CSP standard at least (see below). This was not considered cost effective and 34 ex-USAF F-16s were selected instead. By 2003 the AMI began returning Tornados to the RAF.

Tornados in Italian service suffered poor servicability rates. While this could be surprising given Italy's fleet of the Tornado IDS, the service did not have immediate access to spare equipment and engines available to the RAF. Any criticism of the aircraft's capabilities must take account of the mission for which it was designed, i.e. not to have significant dogfighting capabilities put rather to undertake long range and lengthy combat air patrols. The aircraft did however allow the AMI to participate in multi-national training and operations.

= Capability Sustainment Programme
= Realising that the in its current form the F.3 would not continue as an effective platform up to its planned out of service date of 2010, the UK Ministry of Defence initiated the Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP). This project, announced on March 5, 1996, included;
  • Integration of ASRAAM and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles
  • Radar upgrades to improve multi-target engagement
  • Improved pilot/navigator displays
  • New processor and weapon management computers.

The CSP would see the removal of a non-standard state of aircraft, various upgrades (notably to the Foxhunter radar) had lead to the situation described as "fleets within fleets." However the Foxhunter radar, having overcome many of the early difficulties, was to cause significant problems during the upgrade programme. This manifested itself when efforts were made to integrate the AMRAAM missile with the aircraft as a replacement for Skyflash. The radar had to be considerably modified to interface properly with the missile.

In what was criticised as shortsighted at the time the F.3 would not exploit the full capabilities of the AMRAAM missile. AMRAAM uses two mid-course updates after launch to refresh target information prior to its own seeker taking over. The CSP, as announced, would not provide this capability. Despite becoming operational before 2002 the F3 force deployed on operations with the Skyflash, not AMRAAM, leading to suggestions that the decision not to fully integrate the missile made it no more effective than the original missile. In 2002 the MoD announced the F.3 force would receive a further upgrade to allow these midcourse updates.

=Future
= A further upgrade, undisclosed until early 2003, was the integration of the ALARM anti-radiation missile to allow suppression of enemy air defence missions. The F.3's existing radar warning receivers formed the basis of an extremely effective Emitter Location System, which is used to locate radar antennae. The modified aircraft were then given the new designation Tornado EF3.

These upgrades are underway to evolve the F.3 from a single role aircraft which is not cost effective in the post-Cold War world. This is due to the escalating cost of developing and maintaining aircraft, an excellent example of which is the spiralling cost of the F-35 even with its massive production run. Increasingly aircraft are expected to be multi-role, hence the emphasis now on the Typhoon's ground attack capabilities (which was designed as an air-superiority fighter) and the design of a small diameter bomb to fit into the weapons bay of the F-22 Raptor.

After 19 years, the replacement for the F.3 is now on the horizon. Production of the Typhoon, its successor has started. The Operational Evaluation Unit for the Typhoon has formed, and the Operational Conversion Unit was formed in 2004. 2005 saw the first squadron of Typhoons entering operational service, and by 2010, the Tornado F.3 will be gone from RAF service.

Delivering Security in a Changing World is the UK's vision for the future of the armed forces, as part of this on July 21 2004 Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon detailed plans to reduce the number of F.3 squadrons by one to three squadrons. This represents 16 aircraft and is the first stage in the transition to the Typhoon.

Electronic Combat & Reconnaissance (ECR)

Operated by Germany and Italy, the ECR is an IDS variant devoted to SEAD missions. It was first delivered on May 21 1990, featuring 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, while Italy converted 16 IDSs. The UK IDS and ADV Tornado aircraft can carry ALARM (SEAD) missiles in this role.

Military operations

The Tornado GR.4 made its operational debut in patrols during Operation Southern Watch. The aircraft flew from Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, and patrolled a large part of southern Iraq. Several times bombs were dropped when the aircraft were fired upon by Iraqi ground defences.

Its full wartime debut came in Operation Telic, the British part of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The aircraft, according to all indications in the public domain, performed well. The campaign in Iraq marked a number of firsts for the aircraft. No. 617 Squadron debuted the Storm Shadow Missile, and enhanced Paveway Missiles were used in an anti-runway capacity.

Timeline

  • 1991
    • 16 January - 60 RAF GR.1s participate in Operation Granby, the first stage of the liberation of Kuwait. ALARM missile and TIALD pod rushed into service for the war. Several aircraft and their crews were lost, one during a low-level strike missions using the JP233 runway-denial weapon and others with free-fall bombs. These missions were particularly vulnerable to anti-aircraft artillery fire and shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles. RAF F.3s are among the first aircraft to arrive in theatre and operate Combat Air Patrols within Saudi airspace throughout the conflict.
  • 1992
    • F.3s replace the Phantom in the Falklands Island defence role.
  • 1993
    • March - Tornado Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) project relaunched - with reduced capabilities from a 1989 upgrade plan.
    • April - RAF F.3s begin involvement in Operation Deny Flight in Bosnia.
    • 29 May - First flight of GR.4 upgrade development aircraft.
    • June - Al Yamamah II contract signed - 48 additional IDSs for Saudi Arabia.
  • 1994
    • 14 February - First deliveries of RAF GR.1B maritime strike version.
    • 29 July - UK signs contract for MLU of GR1/GR1A/GR1Bs to GR.4/GR.4A standard.
  • 1995
  • 1996
    • 5 March - UK MoD announced F.3 Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP,) to allow carriage of ASRAAM and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.
  • 1997
  • 1998
    • First CSP upgraded F.3s enter service.
    • 28 April - GR.4 enters front line service
    • 24 September - Final Tornado leaves production line, a RSAF IDS from Warton.
  • 1999
    • 24 March-10 June- RAF Tornado GR.4's participate in Operation Allied Force, NATO's air campaign against Serbia. German and Italian Tornados also participate in strike, reconnaissance, and SEAD missions. This was the first time since 1945 that the Luftwaffe was deployed in a combat mission.
  • 2002

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Panavia Tornado".

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