AirForces Monthly – June 2018

// TORNADO TRIBUTE

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he first RAF Tornados to see action

over the war-torn Balkans were the

F3 interceptors that helped police

a UN no-fly zone over Bosnia from April

1993. For almost three years, Tornado F3
      squadrons rotated to Gioia del Colle air base
      in southern Italy for three-month periods
      under Operation Deny Flight. While the F3s
      came close to using their weapons in anger,
      it was the Tornado GR1 Force that went
      into combat over the former Yugoslavia.
      The province of Kosovo became the next
      Balkan flashpoint. Located in southern
      Serbia, Kosovo’s mixed population is
      majority ethnic Albanian. While it had
      enjoyed considerable autonomy within
      the former Yugoslavia, Serbian leader
      Slobodan Miloševic ́ removed its powers
      and brought it under the direct control of
      Belgrade. In 1998, a state of open conflict
      existed between Kosovar Albanian forces
      and the Serbian government forces.
      As the situation took a turn for the worse
      in October 1998, NATO threatened air
      strikes in an effort to force Miloševic ́’s
      troops out of Kosovo. The Serbian
      leader complied, but by mid-January
      of the following year, the situation had
      escalated again with a new Serbian
      offensive against the Kosovar Albanians.
      NATO again approved air strikes, but
      this time the Serbian forces stepped
      up their campaign. Despite diplomatic
      pressure, Miloševic ́ refused to remove his
      troops from the restive province and on
      March 23 the order was given to begin

air strikes – Operation Allied Force.

For the RAF, the Kosovo campaign was

Operation Engadine and the Tornado

Wing at RAF Brüggen, Germany was at

the forefront. The Tornado GR1 had not

previously been involved in Bosnia and

the early Balkan wars had been handled by

the Jaguar, Tornado F3 and Harrier. As the

focus switched to Kosovo, the Harrier was

deployed to Gioia del Colle, but it was soon

joined by Tornados from RAF Germany.

Bombers

over the Balkans

Above: An RAF pilot completes fi nal walkaround checks on his Tornado GR1 prior to a mission in support

of Operation Allied Force from RAF Brüggen. All photos Crown Copyright via Tim Ripley Top: A No IX(B)

Squadron Tornado GR1 is maintained by ground crew in its hardened aircraft shelter at RAF Brüggen.

It’s armed with a Paveway III laser-guided bomb and a pair of AIM-9L Sidewinders for self-defence.

Tornado

Tribute

A new Balkan crisis erupted in

Kosovo in the late 1990s that

saw the Tornado GR1 thrown into

battle again – and for the first

time in Europe. The then wing

commander at RAF Brüggen, Air

Marshal (Ret’d) Greg Bagwell

CB, CBE, discusses the Tornado’s

campaign with Thomas Newdick.