A successful example of European co-operation, the Tornado multi-role
strike aircraft was designed to meet a 1968 specification for a two-seat
Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) and developed by the international
Panavia Aircraft consortium owned jointly by British Aerospace,
Germany's MBB and Italy's Aeritalia. First flown in August 1974, the
twin-turbojet powered two-seat aircraft with a variable geometry wing,
entered service with the Royal Air Force, the German Luftwaffe and
Marineflieger and the Italian Aeronautica Militare Italiana in the 1980s
at the height of the Cold War. The RAF Tornado GRs achieved 38 years of
unbroken service deployed on various conflicts with NATO allies
including operations in the Gulf, Afghanistan, the Balkans, Libya and
Syria before being withdrawn from service in 2019. German and Italian
Tornados continue anti-ISIL operations over Syria and Iraq. A total of
940 Tornados were produced including 96 for Saudi Arabia and Air Defence
Variants, plus nine prototypes and six pre-production aircraft. More
than 200 remain in service in 2020. Written by aviation expert David
Oliver, this well-informed and readable book, accompanied by 200
illustrations, covers the Tornado's development, production, service in
the RAF, German, Italian and Saudi Arabian Air forces as well as
operations in the Gulf, Afghanistan, the Balkans, Libya, Syria and
Yemen.
