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Tornado
IOC: 1982
Total Production: 1,001
Tornado ADV
IOC: 1986
Production: 173
Also Known As:
Tornado F3
Origin:Germany, Italy, United Kingdom
Contractor/s:
BAE Systems, EADS, Finmeccanica
Description:
The Tornado is a swing-wing, multi-role aircraft designed to perform air defense, reconnaissance, and attack missions. It flies at low altitude and supersonic speed to penetrate sophisticated air defenses. Tornado aircraft variants feature tandem two-seat cockpit. Panavia is a consortium comprising Germany, United Kingdom and Italy responsible for the development and production of Tornado aircraft. The Tornado was ordered by the Panavia consortium countries plus Saudi Arabia.
The Tornado entered service in 1982. It was first deployed during the Gulf War in 1991. Subsequently Tornado aircraft have been employed over the former Yugoslavia and most recently over Iraq during operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. During these conflicts Tornadoes performed ground attack, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), reconnaissance and air defense missions.
The Tornado ADV, also known as Tornado F3, was designed to perform air defense missions carrying 4 medium range and 4 short range air-to-air missiles. In addition it carries a single 27mm gun. The Tornado F3 achieved initial operational capability in 1986. The United Kingdom purchased this aircraft while Italy leased 24 from RAF inventory.
Despite RAF's F3s were upgraded to allow them to fire ASRAAM and AMRAAM missiles under the Tornado F3 Sustainment Programme (FSP) they will be replaced by Typhoons by 2010. FSP, which worth £25 million and completed in July 2006, also added upgrades to the aircraft's computer, radar and datalink capabilities.
Specifications
Accommodation: Crew 2
Guns: Main Gun Caliber 27 mm
Dimensions: Height 6 m, Length 18.7 m, Wingspan 13.9 m
Weights: Max Weight 28,500 kg (62,831 lb), Min Weight 14,000 kg (30,864 lb), Payload 9,000 kg (19,841 lb)
Engine/s Performance: Thrust 33,040 lb (14,987 kg)
Performance: Ceiling 21,336 m (70,000 ft), Endurance 2 hours, Max Range 1,100 km (594 nm), Top Speed 731 mps (Mach 2.20)
Other: Number of Engines 2
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Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)
Last Updated: Sunday, August 24, 2008
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Italy / 24 
United Kingdom / 173 