Thought I’d restore my Tornado thread from the old forum. I’ll improve the formatting later.
Tornado GR.1 / GR.1A / GR.1B
The Tornado GR.1 was the first Tornado version to enter service with the RAF. It entered front line service in 1982, having been in service for training since 1980. It originally entered service with Mk.101 engines (8,700 lb dry / 14,840 lb reheat), but was later upgraded to Mk.103 engines (9,105 lb dry / 16,006 lb reheat).
The Tornado GR.1A was a dedicated reconnaissance version of the GR.1 with the 27 mm cannons being replaced with sideways looking infrared sensors and another forward looking sensor being placed under the fuselage. It also had the capability to carry recognisance pods under the fuselage.
The Tornado GR.1B was a maritime strike version of the GR.1. It was identical to the Tornado GR.1 with the exception that it would carry up to four Sea Eagle sea-skimming anti-ship missiles.
Weapons
- 2 x 27 mm Mauser cannons
- 2 x AIM-9G / AIM-9L
- 12 x 1,000 lb free fall or xxxx bomb
- 12 x BL755 cluster bomb
- 9 x ALARM anti-radiation missile
- 2 x JP233
- 3 x Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb (1,000 lb)
- 2 x Paveway III Laser Guided Bomb (2,000 lb)
- 5 x GBU-12 Laser Guided Bomb (500 lb)
- 1 x TIALD targeting pod
- 4 x Sea Eagle anti-ship missile (GR.1B only)
- Possibly 4 x Martel AR / TV missiles (the advance issue aircrew manual mentions these, but I’ve seen no other evidence for a Tornado carrying Martel. It is possible that Martel was planned at one point but later cancelled).
- 4 x Storm Shadow cruise missile (trials only)
- 12 x Brimstone missiles (trials only)
Countermeasures
- 1 x BOZ-107 pod (28 flares & 600 chaff) - it seems carrying 2 is possible (so 56 flares & 1,200 chaff total)
- 1 x Sky Shadow ECM pod
Tornado F.2
The Tornado F.2 was the first version of the Tornado Air Defence Variant (ADV) to enter service with the RAF in late 1984; it was an interim standard lacking several of the Tornado ADVs planned features. Only 18 Tornado F.2s were built and all were removed from service by 1988, following the arrival of the Tornado F.3 in mid-1986.
The Tornado F.2 was fitted with Mk.103 engines, only carried two Sidewinders, and had no automatic wing control. Most famously of all though due to delays with the Foxhunter radar system the F.2 was originally delivered with concrete ballast in place of the radar; only later were F.2s retrofitted with functional radars.
Weapons
- 1 x 27 mm Mauser cannon
- 4 x Skyflash TEMP missiles
- 2 x AIM-9G / AIM-9L
Countermeasures
None
Tornado F.3
The Tornado F.3 was the main Air Defence Variant of the Tornado to see service. Compared to the F.2 it had more powerful Mk.104 engines (9,105 lb dry / 16,411 lb reheat), carried up to 4 sidewinder missiles, had a functional radar, and automatic wing control. It initially only had one pylon under each wing.
Before being deployed to the Gulf War the Tornado F.3 was rapidly modified with AN/ALE-40 flare dispensers under the fuselage, and a Phimat Chaff pod replacing on of the Sidewinder missiles, along with radar absorbing material around the intakes and wing leading edges (this apparently dropped its radar cross section by a decent amount). It was also adapted to use AIM-9Li missiles (an AIM-9L with flare resistance built in).
Following the Gulf War the F.3 was modified with Vinten Vicon flare dispensers in place of the AN/ALE-40s (the new dispensers used a bigger flare). It also got the BOL 304 which was a Sidewinder missile rail with an integrated countermeasure dispenser. The BOL was originally a chaff dispenser but was later upgraded to dispense IR decoys.
During the Bosnian War the Tornado F.3 was fitted with a set of outer wing pylons from a Tornado GR.1 allowing it to carry a Towed Radar Decoy Pod and a Phimat Pod (NATO rules required an ECM pod for operation over Bosnia). This set-up was apparently called the “Pig Fit” due to the detrimental impact it had on flight performance. Late in its life the Tornado F.3 was upgraded with ASRAAM and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. From what I have read it used the AIM-120B and AIM-120C-5.
A small number of Tornado F.3s were upgraded to become dedicated SEAD aircraft and became known as the “Tornado EF.3”, the main upgrade was the addition of ALARM anti-radiation missiles.
Weapons
- 1 x 27 mm Mauser cannon
- 4 x Skyflash TEMP / Skyflash SuperTEMP / AIM-120B / AIM-120C-5 missiles
- 4 x AIM-9G / AIM-9L / AIM-9M (limited use only) / AIM-9Li / ASRAAM missiles
- 2 x ALARM anti-radiation missile (EF.3 only)
Early countermeasures
- 2 x AN/ALE-40 dispensers (30 flares total)
- 1 x Phimat Pod (210 chaff) in place of a Sidewinder
Late countermeasures
- 2 x Vinten Vicon flare dispensers (32 flares total)
- 2 x BOL 304 dispensers (320 flares / chaff total)
- 1 x Phimat Pod (210 chaff) & 1 x Towed Radar Decoy (only when optional outer wing pylons fitted)
Tornado GR.4 / GR.4A
The Tornado GR.4 was the result of a major upgrade program to the GR.1 started in 1994, with the first GR.4 entering service in 1997. The GR.4 included major avionics upgrades, as well as systems such as pilot night vision and forward looking infrared (FLIR). Once in service the weapons load of the GR.4 was continually expanded over time until it was retired in 2019.
The Tornado GR.4A was a Tornado GR.1A upgraded in the same way as the GR.1 was to become the GR.4. By the end of the Tornado’s service life there was apparently no real difference between the Tornado GR.4 and GR.4A aside from the lack of cannons on the latter.
Weapons
- 1 x 27 mm Mauser cannon
- 2 x AIM-9G / AIM-9L / ASRAAM
- 12 x 1,000 lb free fall or retarded bomb
- 12 x BL755 cluster bomb
- 4 x CBU-87 cluster bomb
- 9 x ALARM anti-radiation missile
- 2 x JP233
- 3 x Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb (1,000 lb)
- 3 x Enhanced Paveway II Laser / GPS Guided Bomb (1,000 lb)
- 2 x Paveway III Laser Guided Bomb (2,000 lb)
- 2 x Enhanced Paveway III Laser / GPS Guided Bomb (2,000 lb)
- 5 x Paveway IV Laser / GPS Guided Bomb (500 lb)
- 1 x TIALD or Litening III targeting pod
- 4 x Storm Shadow cruise missile
- 12 x Brimstone air-to-ground missile (up to 18 carried in testing)
- 12 x Dual mode Brimstone air-to-ground missile (18 may be possible)
Countermeasures
- 2 x BOL 304 dispensers (320 flares / chaff total)
- 1 x BOZ-107 pod (28 flares & 600 chaff) - it seems carrying 2 is possible (so 56 flares & 1,200 chaff total)
- 1 x Sky Shadow ECM pod
- 1 x TERMA Modular Countermeasures Pod (240 flares / chaff + AN/AAR-57 MAWS)
- BriteCloud active radar decoys
