Panavia Tornado

Panavia Tornado IDS 43+50 TLG33 LuftwaffePanavia Tornado IDS 43+50 TLG33 Luftwaffe
  • Role: Multirole aircraft, strike aircraft
  • National origin: International (European)
  • Manufacturer: Panavia Aircraft GmbH
  • First flight: 14 August 1974
  • Introduction: 1979
  • Status: In service
  • Produced: 1979–1998
  • Number built: 992

Military Operators

  • Royal Air Force
  • Italian Air Force
  • German Air Force
  • Royal Saudi Air Force

Specifications (Tornado GR4)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
  • Wingspan: 13.91 m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft)
  • Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
  • Wing area: 26.6 m2 (286 ft2)
  • Empty weight: 13,890 kg (31,620 lb)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
    • Dry thrust: 43.8 kN (9,850 lbf) each
    • Thrust with afterburner: 76.8 kN (17,270 lbf) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,400 km/h, 1,490 mph) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) altitude; 800 knots, 1,482 km/h, 921 mph indicated airspeed near sea level
  • Range: 1,390 km (870 mi) typical combat
  • Ferry range: 3,890 km (2,417 mi) with four external drop tanks
  • Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 76.7 m/s (15,100 ft/min)
  • Thrust/weight: 0.55

Armament

  • Guns: 2× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon internally mounted under each side of fuselage, each with 180 rounds
  • Hardpoints: 4× light duty + 3× heavy duty under-fuselage and 4× swivelling under-wing pylon stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload, the two inner wing pylons have shoulder launch rails for 2× Short-Range AAM (SRAAM) each and provisions to carry combinations of:
    • Missiles:
      • AIM-9 Sidewinder or AIM-132 ASRAAM air-to-air missiles for self-defence
      • 6× AGM-65 Maverick; or
      • 12× Brimstone missile; or
      • 2× Storm Shadow
      • 9× ALARM anti-radiation missile
    • Bombs:
      • 5× 500 lb Paveway IV; or
      • 3× 1000 lb (UK Mk 20) Paveway II/Enhanced Paveway II; or
      • 2× 2000 lb Paveway III (GBU-24)/Enhanced Paveway III (EGBU-24); or
      • BL755 cluster bombs; or
      • Up to 2× JP233 or MW-1 munitions dispensers (for runway cratering operations)
      • Up to 4× B61 or WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons
    • Other: Up to 4× drop tanks for ferry flight/extended range/flight time

Avionics

  • RAPTOR aerial reconnaissance pod
  • Rafael LITENING targeting pod; or
  • TIALD laser designator pod
  • BAE Systems Sky Shadow electronic countermeasure pod