German Air Force (Luftwaffe) , US, 2007 The first Tornado prototype made its first flight on 14 August 1974 from
Ingolstadt Manching Airport, in
West Germany. Deliveries of production Tornados began on 27 July 1979. The total number of Tornados delivered to the
German Air Force was 247, including 35 ECR variants. Originally Tornados equipped five fighter-bomber wings (
Geschwader), with one tactical conversion unit and four front-line wings, replacing the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. When one of the two Tornado wings of the German Navy was disbanded in 1994, its aircraft were used to re-equip a Luftwaffe's reconnaissance wing formerly equipped with
McDonnell Douglas RF-4E Phantoms. 14 German Tornados undertook combat operations as a part of NATO's campaign during the
Bosnian War. The Tornados, operating from
Piacenza, Italy, flew reconnaissance missions to survey damage inflicted by previous strikes and to scout new targets. These reconnaissance missions were reportedly responsible for a significant improvement in target selection throughout the campaign. In 1999, German Tornados participated in
Operation Allied Force, NATO airstrikes against the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the
Kosovo War. This was Germany's first offensive air mission since World War II. The ECR aircraft escorted various allies' aircraft while carrying several
AGM-88 HARM missiles to counter attempted use of radar against the allied aircraft. During the Kosovo hostilities, Germany's IDS Tornados routinely conducted reconnaissance flights to identify both enemy ground forces and civilian refugees within Yugoslavia. The German Tornados flew 2108 hours and 446 sorties, firing 236 HARM missiles at hostile targets. taking off from
Eielson Air Force Base,
Alaska, in 2004 In June 2007, a pair of Luftwaffe Tornados flew reconnaissance missions over an
anti-globalisation demonstration during the
33rd G8 summit in
Heiligendamm. Following the mission, the German Defence Ministry admitted one aircraft had broken the minimum flying altitude and that mistakes were made in the handling of security of the summit. In 2007, a detachment of six Tornados of the
Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" (51st reconnaissance wing) were deployed to
Mazar-i-Sharif, Northern Afghanistan, to support NATO forces. The decision to send Tornados to Afghanistan was controversial: one political party launched an unsuccessful legal bid to block the deployment as unconstitutional. In support of the Afghanistan mission, improvements in the Tornado's reconnaissance equipment were accelerated; enhancing the Tornado's ability to detect hidden
improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The German Tornados were withdrawn from Afghanistan in November 2010. Defence cuts announced in March 2003 resulted in the decision to retire 90 Tornados from service with the Luftwaffe. This led to a reduction in its Tornado strength to four wings by September 2005. On 13 January 2004, the then German
Defence Minister Peter Struck announced further major changes to the German armed forces. A major part of this announcement was the plan to cut the German fighter fleet from 426 in early 2004 to 265 by 2015. The German Tornado force was to be reduced to 85, with the type expected to remain in service with the Luftwaffe until 2025. Currently, the Luftwaffe operates Tornados with Tactical Wings
Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33 in Cochem/
Büchel Air Base,
Rhineland-Palatinate and with
Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51 "Immelmann" in Jagel,
Schleswig-Holstein. German Tornado aircrew training took place at
Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, US from January 1996 at the Taktische Ausbildungskommando der Luftwaffe USA (
TaktAusbKdoLw USA Tactical Training Command of the Luftwaffe USA) which was responsible for training both German F-4 Phantom and Tornado crews. In 1999 the training command was renamed as Fliegerisches Ausbildungszentrum der Luftwaffe (
FlgAusbZLw Luftwaffe Training Center). In March 2015, Defence Minister
Ursula von der Leyen decided to continue this training in Germany. In September 2017, flight training in Holloman for the Tornado was discontinued and transferred to Taktischen Luftwaffengeschwader 51 in Jagel with the US location command dissolved in 2019. In April 2020, it was reported that the German defence ministry planned to replace its Tornado aircraft with a purchase of 30
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, 15 EA-18G Growlers, and 55 Eurofighter Typhoons. The Super Hornet was selected due to its compatibility with nuclear weapons and availability of an electronic attack version. In March 2020, the Super Hornet was not certified for the B61 nuclear bombs, but Dan Gillian, head of Boeing's Super Hornet program, previously stated "We certainly think that we, working with the U.S. government, can meet the German requirements there on the [required] timeline." In 2021, Airbus offered to replace Luftwaffe's 90 ageing Tornado Interdiction and Strike (IDS) and Electronic Combat Reconnaissance (ECR) aircraft with 85 new Eurofighter Tranche 5 standard from 2030. In 2022, the German defence ministry announced that 35
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs will replace the Tornado fleet for
nuclear sharing instead of the discussed 30 Boeing Super Hornets.
German Navy (Marineflieger) in 1989 In addition to the order made by the
Luftwaffe, the
German Navy's
Marineflieger also received 112 of the IDS variant in the anti-ship and marine reconnaissance roles, again replacing the Starfighter. These Tornados equipped two wings, each with a nominal strength of 48 aircraft. The principal anti-ship weapon was the
AS.34 Kormoran anti-ship missile, which were initially supplemented by unguided bombs and
BL755 cluster munitions, and later by AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles. Pods fitted with panoramic optical cameras and an infrared line scan were carried for the reconnaissance mission. The end of the Cold War and the signing of the
CFE Treaty led Germany to reduce the size of its armed forces, including the number of combat aircraft. To meet this need, one of the
Marineflieger's Tornado wings was disbanded on 1 January 1994; its aircraft replaced the Phantoms of a Luftwaffe reconnaissance wing. The second wing was enlarged and continued in the anti-shipping, reconnaissance and anti-radar roles until it was disbanded in 2005 with its aircraft and duties passed on to the Luftwaffe.
Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) The first Italian prototype made its maiden flight on 5 December 1975 from
Turin. The
Aeronautica Militare received 100 Tornado IDSs (known as the A-200 in Italian service). 16 A-200s were subsequently converted to the ECR configuration; the first Italian Tornado ECR (known as the EA-200) As a stop-gap measure for 10 years the Aeronautica Militare additionally operated 24
Tornado ADVs in the air defence role, which were leased from the RAF to cover the service gap between the retirement of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and the introduction of the Eurofighter Typhoon. Italian Tornados, along with RAF Tornados, took part in the first
Gulf War in 1991.
Operazione Locusta saw eight Tornado IDS interdictors deployed from
Gioia del Colle, Italy, to
Al Dhafra,
Abu Dhabi, as part of Italy's contribution to the coalition. During the conflict, one aircraft was lost to Iraqi anti-aircraft fire; the pilots ejected safely and were captured by Iraqi forces. A total of 22 Italian Tornados were deployed in the NATO-organised
Operation Allied Force over Kosovo in 1999; the A-200s served in the bombing role while the EA-200s patrolled the combat region, acting to suppress enemy anti-aircraft radars, firing 115 AGM-88 HARM missiles. In 2000, with delays to the Eurofighter, the Aeronautica Militare began a search for another interim fighter. While the Tornado was considered, any long term extension to the lease would have involved upgrade to RAF CSP standard and thus was not considered cost effective. In February 2001, Italy announced its arrangement to lease 35 F-16s from the United States under the PEACE CAESAR programme. The Aeronautica Militare returned its Tornado ADVs to the RAF, with the final aircraft arriving at
RAF St Athan on 7 December 2004. One aircraft was retained for static display purposes at the
Italian Air Force Museum. The upgrade introduced improved navigation systems (integrated GPS and laser INS) and the ability to carry new weapons, including the Storm Shadow cruise missile, Joint Direct Attack Munition and Paveway III laser-guided bombs. , 2011 In response to anticipated violence during the
2010 Afghanistan elections, Italy, along with several other nations, increased its military commitment in Afghanistan, dispatching four A-200 Tornados to the region. Italy has opted to extend the Tornado's service life at the expense of alternative ground-attack aircraft such as the
AMX International AMX; in 2010 a major upgrade and life extension programme was initiated, to provide new digital displays,
Link 16 communications capability, night-vision goggles compatibility, and several other upgrades. In the long term, it is planned to replace the Tornado IDS/ECR fleet in Italian service with the F-35 Lightning II, with the final Italian Tornado scheduled to be phased out in 2025. The Aeronautica Militare received its first of an eventual 15 upgraded Tornado EA-200s on 15 June 2013. Italian Tornado A-200 and EA-200 aircraft participated in the enforcement of a UN no-fly zone during the
2011 military intervention in Libya. Various coalition aircraft operated from bases in Italy, including RAF Tornados. Italian military aircraft delivered a combined 710 guided bombs and missiles during the strikes against Libyan targets. Of these Aeronautica Militare Tornados and AMX fighter-bombers released 550 guided bombs and missiles, and Italian Navy AV-8Bs delivered 160 guided bombs. Italian Tornados launched 20 to 30 Storm Shadow cruise missiles with the rest consisting of Paveway and JDAM guided bombs. On 19 August 2014, two Aeronautica Militare Tornados collided in mid-air during a training mission near
Ascoli. On 14 November 2014, Italy announced it was sending four Tornado aircraft with 135 support staff to
Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base and to two other bases in Kuwait in participation of
coalition operations against the Islamic State. The four aircraft will be used for reconnaissance missions only. In October 2018, it was announced that the EA-200 Tornado had successfully completed operational testing of the
AGM-88E AARGM, providing capabilities of an "expanded target set, counter-shutdown capability, advanced signals processing for improved detection and locating, geographic specificity, and a weapon impact-assessment broadcast capability."
Royal Air Force arriving at
RIAT, July 1983 Nicknamed the "Tonka" by the British, their first prototype (
XX946) made its maiden flight on 30 October 1974 from
BAC Warton. The first RAF Tornados (
ZA320 and
ZA322) were delivered to the TTTE at RAF Cottesmore on 1 July 1980. Crew that qualified from the TTTE went onto the
Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit (TWCU), which formed on 1 August 1981 at
RAF Honington, before being posted to a front-line squadron. No. IX (B) Squadron was declared strike combat ready to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) in January 1983. Two more squadrons were formed at
RAF Marham in 1983 –
No. 617 Squadron on 1 January and
No. 27 Squadron on 12 August. Navigator Flt. Lt. Nigel Nickles ejected but the pilot Sqn. Ldr. Michael Stephens died in the crash after ordering ejection. In January 1984, the TWCU became No. 45 (Reserve) Squadron.
RAF Germany (RAFG) began receiving Tornados after the formation of
No. XV (Designate) Squadron on 1 September 1983 at
RAF Laarbruch followed by
No. 16 (Designate) Squadron in January 1984 (both Buccaneer squadrons). They were then joined by
No. 20 (Designate) Squadron in May 1984 (who were operating the
SEPECAT Jaguar GR1 from
RAF Brüggen). In the event of the Cold War going 'hot', the majority of RAFG Tornado squadrons were tasked with destroying Warsaw Pact airfields and
surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites in East Germany. While No. 20 Squadron was given a separate responsibility of destroying bridges over the rivers
Elbe and
Weser to prevent Warsaw Pact forces from advancing. By early 1985, Nos. XV, 16 and 20 Squadrons at RAF Laarbruch had been declared strike combat ready to SACEUR. at
RAF Brize Norton, September 1991. This example is in the "desert pink" used for
Operation Granby. Tornados began to arrive at RAF Brüggen in September 1984 with the formation of
No. 31 (Designate) Squadron.
No. 17 (Designate) Squadron was formed in December 1984, and these two squadrons were joined by
No. 14 (Designate) Squadron in mid-1985. No. IX (B) Squadron relocated from RAF Honington to RAF Brüggen on 1 October 1986, arriving in a diamond formation. The outcome of the
Reykjavík Summit in October 1986 led to the end of QRA (Nuclear) for the Tornado force. By the end of 1986, the Tornado GR1 fleet had been equipped with a Laser Ranger and Marked Target Seeker (LRMTS) under the nose, and had begun to be equipped with the
BOZ-107 chaff and flare dispenser. The Tornado made its combat debut as part of
Operation Granby, the British contribution to the Gulf War in 1991. This saw 49 RAF Tornado GR1s deploy to
Muharraq Airfield in Bahrain and to
Tabuk Air Base and
Dhahran Airfield in Saudi Arabia. 18 Tornado F3s were deployed to provide air cover, the threat of their long range missiles being a deterrent to Iraqi pilots, who would avoid combat when approached. On 19 January, another RAF Tornado was shot down during an intensive raid on
Tallil Air Base. The impact of the Tornado strikes upon Iraqi airfields is difficult to determine. A total of six RAF Tornados were lost in the conflict, four while delivering unguided bombs, one after delivering JP233, and one trying to deliver laser-guided bombs. The UK sent a detachment of Buccaneer aircraft equipped with
Pave Spike laser designators, allowing Tornado GR1s to drop precision guided weapons guided by the Buccaneers. A planned programme to fit GR1s with the TIALD laser designation system was accelerated to give the Tornado force the ability to self-designate targets. Author Claus-Christian Szejnmann declared that the TIALD pod enabled the GR1 to "achieve probably the most accurate bombing in the RAF's history". Although laser designation proved effective in the Gulf War, only 23 TIALD pods had been purchased by 2000; shortages hindered combat operations over Kosovo. ,
17,
14 and
XV (R) Squadrons lined up at
CFB Goose Bay, June 1992 After the war's opening phase, the GR1s switched to medium-level strike missions; typical targets included munition depots and oil refineries. Only the reconnaissance Tornado GR1As continued flying the low-altitude high-speed profile, emerging unscathed despite the inherent danger in conducting pre-attack reconnaissance. After the conflict, Britain maintained a military presence in the Gulf. Around six GR1s were based at
Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, contributing the southern no-fly zone as part of
Operation Southern Watch. Six additional GR1s participated in
Operation Provide Comfort over Northern Iraq. The upgraded Tornado GR4 made its operational debut in Operation Southern Watch; patrolling Iraq's southern airspace from bases in
Kuwait. Both Tornado GR1s and GR4s based at Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, took part in coalition strikes at Iraq's military infrastructure during
Operation Desert Fox in 1998. In December 1998, an Iraqi anti-aircraft battery fired six to eight missiles at a patrolling Tornado. The battery was later attacked in retaliation, and no aircraft were lost during the incident. It was reported that during Desert Fox RAF Tornados had successfully destroyed 75% of their targets, and out of the 36 missions planned, 28 had been successfully completed. The GR1 participated in the
Kosovo War in 1999. Tornados initially operated from RAF Brüggen, Germany and later from
Solenzara Air Base,
Corsica. Experiences from Kosovo led to the RAF procuring
AGM-65 Maverick missiles and Enhanced Paveway
smart bombs for the Tornado. The GR4 was used in
Operation Telic, Britain's contribution to the
2003 invasion of Iraq. RAF Tornados flew alongside American aircraft in the opening phase of the war, striking Iraqi targets. Aiming to minimise civilian casualties, Tornados deployed the Storm Shadow cruise missile for the first time. Whilst 25% of the UK's air-launched weapons in Kosovo were precision-guided, four years later in Iraq this ratio increased to 85%. In July 2003, a US board of inquiry exonerated the battery's operators, observing the Tornado's "lack of functioning IFF (
Identification Friend or Foe)" as a factor in the incident. Problems with Patriot were also suggested as a factor, multiple incidents of mis-identification of friendly aircraft have occurred, including the fatal shootdown of a
US Navy F/A-18 a few weeks after the Tornado's loss. Britain withdrew the last of its Tornados from Iraq in June 2009. In early 2009, several GR4s arrived at
Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan to replace the
Harrier GR7/9 aircraft which had been deployed there since November 2004. In 2009,
Paveway IV guided bombs were brought into service on the RAF's Tornados, having been previously used in Afghanistan by the Harrier fleet. In Summer 2010, extra Tornados were dispatched to Kandahar for the duration of the 2010 Afghan election. British Tornados ended operations in Afghanistan in November 2014, having flown over 5,000 pairs sorties over 33,500 hours, including 600 "shows of force" to deter Taliban attacks. During more than 70 engagements, 140 Brimstone missiles and Paveway IV bombs were deployed, and over 3,000 27 mm cannon shells fired. Prior to the 2010
Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR)'s publication, the Tornado's retirement was under consideration with savings of £7.5 billion anticipated. The SDSR announced the Tornado would be retained at the expense of the Harrier GR7/9, although numbers would decline in the transition to the Eurofighter Typhoon and the F-35 Lightning II. By July 2013, 59 RAF GR4s were receiving the CUSP avionics upgrade, which achieved Initial Service Date (ISD) in March 2013. , September 2014 On 18 March 2011, British Prime Minister
David Cameron announced that Tornados and Typhoons would enforce a
no-fly zone in Libya. In March 2011, several Tornados flew strike missions against targets inside Libya in what were "the longest range bombing mission conducted by the RAF since the Falklands conflict". A variety of munitions were used during Tornado operations over Libya, including laser-guided bombs and Brimstone missiles. In August 2014, Tornado GR4s were deployed to
RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus to support refugees sheltering from
Islamic State militants in northern Iraq. The decision came three days after the United States began conducting
air attacks against the Islamic State. Tornados were pre-positioned to gather situational awareness in the region. On 27 September 2014, after Parliament approved airstrikes against Islamic State forces inside Iraq, two Tornados conducted their first armed reconnaissance mission in conjunction with coalition aircraft. The next day, two Tornados made the first airstrike on a heavy weapons post and an armoured vehicle, supporting
Kurdish forces in northwest Iraq. By 1 March 2015, eight RAF Tornados had been deployed to Akrotiri and conducted 159 airstrikes against IS targets in Iraq. On 2 December 2015, Parliament approved air strikes in Syria as well as Iraq to combat the growing threat of
ISIL; Tornados began bombing that evening. On 14 April 2018, four Tornado GR4s from RAF Akrotiri struck a Syrian military facility with Storm Shadow cruise missiles in response to a suspected
chemical attack on
Douma by the Syrian regime the previous week. , January 2019 On 10 July 2018, nine Tornado GR4s from RAF Marham flew over London to celebrate 100 years of the RAF. During late 2018, the RAF commemorated the Tornado's service with three special schemes:
ZG752 paid homage to its early years with a green/grey wraparound camouflage;
ZG775 and
ZD716 both wore schemes commemorating the final units to operate the type – No. IX (B) Squadron and No. 31 Squadron respectively. On 31 January 2019, the Tornado GR4 flew its last operational sorties in
Operation Shader. The eight Tornados formerly stationed at RAF Akrotiri returned to RAF Marham in early February 2019, their duties assumed by six Typhoons. Between September 2014 and January 2019, RAF Tornados accounted for 31% of the estimated 4,315 casualties inflicted upon ISIL by the RAF during the operation. To celebrate 40 years of service and to mark the type's retirement, several flypasts were carried out on 19, 20 and 21 February 2019 over locations such as BAE Warton, RAF Honington and RAF Lossiemouth. On 28 February, nine Tornados flew out of RAF Marham for a diamond nine formation flypast over a graduation parade at
RAF Cranwell before returning and carrying out a series of passes over RAF Marham. On 14 March 2019 the final flight of an RAF Tornado was carried out by Tornado GR4
ZA463, the oldest remaining Tornado, over RAF Marham during the disbandment parade of No. IX (B) Squadron and No. 31 Squadron. The Tornado GR4 was officially retired from RAF service on 1 April 2019, the 101st anniversary of the force. Post-retirement, five Tornados returned to RAF Honington via road for the Complex Air Ground Environment (CAGE), which simulates a Tornado flight line for training purposes. On 2 July 2023, it was reported that pylons from decommissioned RAF Panavia Tornado GR4s had been fitted to Ukrainian
Su-24s, so that they could launch the Storm Shadow missile. These Su-24s can carry at least two Storm Shadows. Unlike missiles carried by the Tornado, it was reported that missiles carried by the Su-24 required the coordinates of targets to be entered before takeoff.
Royal Saudi Air Force , August 2013 In 1984,
Royal Saudi Air Force pilots visited RAF Honington to fly and evaluate the Tornado GR1. In October 1985, four RSAF crews joined the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment at RAF Cottesmore. and the first four IDS were delivered to
King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Dharan in 26 March 1986. and the first deliveries arrived in Saudi Arabia on 20 March 1989. Following experience with both the Tornado and the
McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, the RSAF discontinued low-level mission training in the F-15E in light of the Tornado's superior low-altitude flight performance. By 2007, both the
Sea Eagle anti-ship missile and the
ALARM anti-radiation missile that previously equipped the RSAF's Tornados had been withdrawn from service. As of 2010, Saudi Arabia has signed several contracts for new weapon systems to be fitted to their Tornado and Typhoon fleets, such as the short range air-to-air
IRIS-T missile, and the Brimstone and Storm Shadow missiles. In September 2006, the Saudi government signed a contract worth £2.5 billion (US$4.7 billion) with BAE Systems to upgrade up to 80 RSAF Tornado IDS aircraft to keep them in service until 2020. The first RSAF Tornado was returned to BAE Systems Warton in December 2006 for upgrade under the "Tornado Sustainment Programme" (TSP) to "equip the IDS fleet with a range of new precision-guided weapons and enhanced targeting equipment, in many cases common with those systems already fielded by the UK's Tornado GR4s." In December 2007, the first RSAF aircraft to complete modernisation was returned to Saudi Arabia. Starting from the first week of November 2009, RSAF Tornados, along with Saudi F-15s performed air raids during the
Shia insurgency in north Yemen. It was the first time since
Operation Desert Storm in 1991 that the RSAF had participated in a military operation over hostile territory. RSAF Tornados are playing a central role in
Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen. On 7 January 2018,
Houthi fighters claimed to have shot down a Saudi warplane which was conducting air-raids over northern Yemen. According to Saudi reports, the downed aircraft was an RSAF Tornado which was on a combat mission over
Saada province in northern Yemen, it was lost for 'technical reasons' and both crew were rescued. On 12 July 2018, another RSAF Tornado crashed in Asir region after returning from Saada, Yemen due to a technical malfunction. On 14 February 2020, a Saudi Tornado was shot down during
close air support mission in support of Saudi allied Yemeni forces in the Yemeni Al Jouf governorate by Houthis. On the day after, the Saudi command confirmed the loss of a Tornado, while a video was released showing the downing using a two-stage surface to air missile. Both pilots ejected and were captured by Houthis. ==Variants==