The Aircraft of British Aerospace and BAE SYSTEMS 1977 - 2017 91The MulTi-Role ToRnado
In 2011 RAF Tornados were yet again
involved in strike operations to help
protect the rebels against Government
forces in Libya and they are currently on
active service as part of ‘Operation Shader’
on strike missions against Daesh in Iraq
and Syria. All the RAF’s Tornados are
currently due to be retired from RAF
service in 2019, with a gradual run down
from 2018.The RAF’s Air Defence
Variant Tornado
Unlike the IDS Tornados which were
designed and built to the requirements of
the three partner countries, the Tornado
ADV (Air Defence Variant) was developed
solely for the RAF as a long-range
interceptor to replace the Lightning and
the Phantom in their air defence role
against an incursion by Warsaw Pact
forces. Initially the IDS Tornado was
considered for the air defence role and it
could fulfill aspects of the requirement.
However, it needed provision for air-to-air
missiles and an intercept radar to replace
its existing attack and terrain-following
radars. Despite an RAF evaluation of
American types including the F-14
Tomcat, F-15 Eagle and F-16 of and the
selection of the F-15 as the most suitable,
the final decision by the RAF was to seek
a development of the Tornado, which was
good news for BAe and financially a
sensible choice when considering the
cost of import, training and spares
commonality.
The Tornado ADV embodied
aerodynamic refinements and could
easily be distinguished from the IDS
owing to its longer nose radome for the
Marconi Foxhunter AI.24 radar and
four-foot front fuselage extension which
increased internal fuel capacity and
reduced drag. The lengthened fuselage
provided space for four semi-recessed
Skyflash air-to-air missile missiles in the
underside of the fuselage. The leading
edge of the fixed part of the wing was
extended forwards sharpening its angle
to the wing, so that when the wings were
fully swept back the wings had a concave
interface, rather than the convex form on
the IDS. The ADV had uprated RB.199s
producing 17,000Ib thrust. Though the
ADV was destined only for the RAF, like
the strike variant it was a Panavia aircraft
and work was shared among all three
participating countries just as with the
IDS variant. However manufacture of the
four foot fuselage plug and final assembly
of the aircraft was carried out at Warton.
Altogether 165 of the 385 RAF Tornados
were Tornado ADV interceptors.
The first Tornado ADV prototype A.01
registered ZA254 flew on 27 October
1979 piloted by Warton’s Chief Test Pilot,
David Eagles. The maiden flight was very
successful with the aircraft airborne for 92
minutes and reaching Mach 1.2. By flight
three it had achieved Mach 1.75. The F2
flight test programme developed very
successfully, except for the radar whose
development ran far behind schedule.
Two more prototypes soon followed. ByTemporarily registered as ZE114, RSAF Tornado IDS landing Warton in 2016. (BAE SYSTEMS North West Heritage)