Tornado, Panavia

Multi-role aircraft developed and built in cooperation with Germany and Italy. It is a compact twin-engined variable-geometry aircraft. The Tornado was also the first production military aircraft with flight-by-wire controls. There are strike-attack (IDS), air defence (ADV) and electronic warfare (ECR) versions. The ADV has an elongated nose. The original contractors bought 933 aircraft, but production is still underway for Saudi-Arabia. The IDS version is considered a very effective attack aircraft, but the ADV has been critized because it is a long-range interceptor with little capacity for dogfights. British IDS Tornadoes will be upgraded to GR.4 configuration. The loss of six Tornadoes during the 1992 Gulf War resulted in a storm of criticisim, most of it unjustified.

Tags: Tornado, panavia, ids, adv