Tornado IDS / GR.1

TORNADO IDS (Interdiction/Strike) / GR.1
- All-weather Attacker -

Origin: (Real World)
Multi-national European consortium (United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain)

Games Featured In:
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
Ace Combat X2: Joint Assault

Operators:
Federal Erusean Air Force
Independent State Allied Forces
Martinez Security
Osean Air Defense Force
Yuktobanian Air Force
Valahia

Ace Squadron Pilot(s):
De Vico (AC4)
Oruma (ACJA)

Variants:
Tornado-ECR
Tornado-F3
Tornado-GR.4

Armament: (Special Weapons)
Gun / 2x 27mm Mauser BK-27 Cannon
Standard Missile / AIM-9M Sidewinder
BDSP / JP223 Munitions Dispenser (AC5) / MW-1 Munitions Dispenser (AC04)
LASM / BAe Sea Hawk (AC04)
PGB / Paveway III (AC04)

Ace Combat 5 Stats:
Speed: 63
Mobility: 40
Stability: 63
Defense: 90
Air-to-Air: 27
Air-to-Ground: 73

Background:
The Tornado multi-role aircraft is operational in five different forms: Tornado GR 1 interdictor / strike aircraft for close air support; counter air attack and defence suppression; GR 1A tactical reconnaissance aircraft; Tornado GR 1B long-range maritime attack aircraft and Tornado F3 long-range air defense fighter. The GR 4 is a mid-life update of the GR 1.The aircraft is equipped with an advanced sensor and defensive aids suite for low-level, deep-penetration missions in all weathers by day and by night. The aircraft is fitted with two 25mm cannons on each side of the fuselage. The aircraft is equipped with a wide range of weapons. For close air support and interdiction, the aircraft is typically equipped with iron bombs, cluster bombs and laser-guided bombs. In the defence suppression role, it is equipped with anti-radar missiles. German Air Force Tornado aircraft will be armed with thesIRIS-T infrared-guided air-to-air missile, being developed by BGT. The RAF Tornado GR1 was the first generation version of the Panavia Tornado strike aircraft of the Royal Air Force. The first of 228 GR1s was delivered on June 5, 1979, and the type entered service in the early 1980s. 142 aircraft were upgraded to GR4 standard from 1997 to 2002, after which time the GR.1 designation was abandoned.

The Tornado was designed for ultra-low-level penetration strikes on Warsaw Pact targets in Europe using both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons, e.g. WE.177. However, the end of the Cold War precluded it from ever seeing that use. A major feature of the GR.1 was its terrain-following radar, which allowed all-weather hands-off low-level flight, but current doctrine eschews extreme low-level flight and relies on inertial navigation with GPS updates rather than TFS. The RAF Tornado IDS aircraft have a Laser Range Finder and Marked Target Seeker (LRMTS) under the fuselage on the starboard side, just forward of the nose landing gear in an aerodynamic fairing. This system consists of a laser that can be used to measure the slant range of a point on the ground relative to the aircraft. This information is then used by the aircraft's avionics to compute targeting information for the crew. The LRMTS laser sensor can also be used to receive reflected laser energy from a third-party laser, allowing the crew to find targets that have been marked by troops on the ground or another aircraft. The laser cannot be used for guiding laser-guided bombs. IDS aircraft supplied to Italy, West Germany and the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment do not have the LRMTS system, but the aircraft supplied to the Royal Saudi Air Force do. ts actual combat debut came in 1991 in the Gulf War. Nearly 60 GR1s were deployed by the United Kingdom to air bases at Muharraq (Bahrain), Tabuk and Dhahran in Saudi Arabia.

Specifications:
Crew: 2
Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 13.91m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft) Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Wing area: 26.6m² (286 ft²)
Empty weight: 13,890 kg (31,620 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
Powerplant: 2× Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
Dry thrust: 43.8 kN (9,850 lbf) each
Thrust with afterburner: 76.8 kN (17,270 lbf) each
Maximum speed: Mach 2.34 (2,417.6 km/h, 1,511 mph)
Range: 1,390 km (870 mi) typical combat
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)

SOURCE:
Ace Combat Series (In Game Data)
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_IDS
fighterplanes.com
airforce-technology.com

ACCREDITATION:
Original Article By: Ribbon-Zero (cbale2000)
Article Updated By: Berserker