Panavia PA-200 Tornado ECR (c/n 860, ´46+40´ of Luftwaffe / the German Air Force), taking-off for the COMAO mission during the NATO Tiger Meet 2024, Fliegerhorst Schleswig/Jagel, June 2024.
Exactly fifty years ago, on 14th August 1974, the Panavia Tornado multirole combat aircraft performed its maiden flight. And that anniversary creates the perfect opportunity to feature that type of aircraft within our Photo of the Week series.
The Tornado was created by a joint development effort of three European countries – Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy. Although the initial idea of making the new Multi Role Combat Aircraft was born already in the late 1960s, it took approximately ten years to develop the aeroplane and another five to make it operational.
The first serial-made aircraft were delivered to the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force on 5th and 6th June 1979, respectively. In September of 1981, the first Tornado was delivered to the Italian Air Force.
At the time of its introduction into operational service, the Tornado was one of the most advanced, sophisticated and also one of the most expensive combat aircraft in the world. The aeroplane was equipped with the latest navigation and computer technology, as well as modern fly-by-wire system.
The Tornado was a real multi-role combat jet. The aircraft was capable of intercepting and strike missions, including low-level attacks. It could also provide reconnaissance duties and maritime patrols, as well as electronic countermeasure.
Between 1979 and 1998 a total number of 990 Tornados was produced. The aircraft was manufactured in three variants: interdictor/strike (IDS), electronic combat/reconnaissance (ECR) and the air defence variant (ADV).
Although the Tornado was introduced into operational service in the last decade of the Cold War, the aircraft became one of the aviation icons of the era. It also has an impressive combat history, as the Tornados participated in almost all main armed conflicts that took place after 1990, such as the Gulf War (1991), the Bosnian War (1992-95), Operation Desert Fox (1998), Operation Allied Force (1999), Operation Telic (2003), military intervention in Libya (2011), operations in Afghanistan, against the Islamic State and the Houthis.
For more information about the Panavia Tornado multirole aircraft, please refer to our previous articles listed below:
- 14 August 1974 – maiden flight of Panavia Tornado,
- Panavia A-200C Tornado IDS,
- Panavia Tornado ECR,
- Panavia PA-200 Tornado IDS.
And do not miss our anniversary Tornado photo story, to be issued tomorrow.
