Used frequently throughout the late 20th century, the Tornado was deployed as recently as the air campaigns against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and the Islamic State in Syria.
The Panavia Tornado, a Cold War-era multirole fighter, was a cornerstone of European and Middle Eastern air power for over four decades. However, the Tornado’s tenure is coming to a close. Although highly adaptable and enduring, the Tornado is being phased out in favor of modern aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II. The Tornado’s best days are behind it. After enduring heavy use in conflicts such as Desert Storm, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the Tornado is gradually being relegated to obscurity.
The Panavia Tornado’s Interesting History
The Tornado—developed as a multinational partnership between the United Kingdom, West Germany, and Italy—proved itself to be a highly adaptable platform, fit for a wide range of combat roles. The most notable feature of the aircraft was its variable-sweep wing design, which enabled the jet to operate effectively at both low and high speeds, a capability beneficial for the low-level penetration strikes for which the Tornado was designed.
The Tornado was produced in three primary variants: the Tornado IDS (interdictor/Strike), the Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat/Reconnaissance), and the Tornado ADV (Air Defense Variant). Between the three variants, the Tornado could serve as either a precision ground-attack aircraft, a suppressor of enemy air defenses (SEAD) platform, or a long-range interceptor.
The Tornado’s Specs
- Year Introduced: 1979
- Number Built: 990
- Length: 16.72 m (54 ft, 10 in)
- Height: 5.95 m (19 ft, 6 in)
- Wingspan: 8.60 m (28 ft, 3 in) swept at 67° sweep; 13.91 m (45 ft, 8 in) at 25° sweep
- Weight: 13,890 kg (30,622 lb) empty weight; 20,410 kg (44,996 lb) weight under normal conditions; 27,215 kg (60,000 lb) maximum takeoff weight
- Engines: 2 Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning 3-spool turbofan
- Top Speed: 2,400 km/h (1,500 mph, 1,300 kn) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft)
- Range: Roughly 2,000 miles
- Service Ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
- Loadout: 1 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon; 7 hardpoints with total capacity of 9,000 kg in armaments
- Aircrew: 2
Why Most Countries Are Retiring the Tornado
Used frequently throughout the late 20th century, the Tornado was deployed as recently as the air campaigns against Libya and Syria. However, the rapidly evolving demands of 21st-century warfare have pushed the Tornado into obsolescence. As a result, the aircraft is being phased out across its operating nations. The United Kingdom officially retired its Tornado fleet back in 2019, after 40 years of service. Germany and Italy, meanwhile, are still using their Tornadoes, albeit in limited operations with the aircraft’s complete retirement expected in the late 2020s. Saudi Arabia, the Tornado’s sole non-European operator, is the last nation still operating the aircraft in significant numbers. However, even KSA is beginning to shift its focus towards modern aircraft procurement.
The Tornado lacks many essential features of modern aircraft, including stealth capability, modern sensor integration, and network-centric warfare—all of which are crucial for successful operation within contested airspace. In addition, maintenance of the aging fleet has become increasingly costly and logistically complicated, as spare parts are becoming harder to find and maintenance cycles are growing longer. Those are some of the factors that led to multiple countries retiring their fleet of Tornados in favour of more modern aircraft.
NATO is actively moving past the Tornado, with an eye towards multirole fighters that can perform a broad range of missions without the logistical or maintenance-related headaches. The Eurofighter Typhoon, another product of European collaboration, offers superior air-to-air capabilities and modern avionics compared to the Tornado. Meanwhile, the F-35 offers advanced stealth, data fusion, and interoperability across allied forces. Both the Eurofighter and the F-35 are better equipped for modern military doctrines, which emphasize rapid deployment, electronic warfare resilience, and joint force integration—areas where the Tornado is deficient.
The Tornado had its moment and consistently proved itself as a reliable contributor in wartime conditions. However, the aircraft’s moment in the sun is ending in favor of modern aircraft, which are better equipped to face the challenges of the modern battle space.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a Senior Defense and National Security Writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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