Although older than most of the pilots flying it, the Panavia Tornado is still the most popular strike fighter throughout Europe. In fact, there are twice as many Tornadoes in service across NATO members and allied states as the far more modern Typhoon Eurofighter.

Jack Of All Trades:

Much of that success is due to the Tornado proving itself as a true multi-role aircraft and primary workhorse for every NATO operation, from Yugoslavia to Syria and everywhere in between. Over the years, the Tornado has accomplished far more diverse missions than intended from its ground strike role.

Cost Effectiveness:

The Panavia Tornado has another allure that makes it an easy choice for militaries around the world: it’s cost effective. This has incensed cash-strapped European militaries to replace multiple aircraft designs with the Tornado as a common battle platform for interception, ground attack, battlefield reconnaissance, maritime patrol duties, and dedicated electronic countermeasures (ECM) missions.

Unique Feature:

One of its most notable features are the “swing wings,” which allow the Tornado to rapidly transition from high-speed, high-altitude combat to low-level and fairly slow bombing runs with ease. Except for the Russian-designed MiG-23/27 Floggers, the Tornado is the only adjustable-wing combat aircraft still in front-line service.

Development:

Conceived during the Cold War when WWIII seemed right around the corner, the Panavia Tornado was designed as a rugged fighter-bomber that could operate from improvised runways and battle-damaged airfields. If the Cold War had ever gone “hot,” the Tornado would have represented the bulk of non-US combat aircraft on the Western European front. Outside of Europe, Saudi Arabia maintains a large fleet of active-duty Tornados performing most of their airstrikes in Yemen.

Variants:

The Tornado line has evolved into three main variants in use today. First is the Tornado IDS, which specializes in deep strike missions with precision ordinance and is the most popular and technologically advanced. The Tornado ECR is Europe’s primary tool for Suppression of Enemy Air Defense missions and battlefield reconnaissance. Finally, the Tornado ADV is a specialized air-to-air combat frame intended for long-range interception of enemy aircraft.

While not the most hi-tech aircraft flying in the 21^st century, the Tornado’s relatively low-cost and extensive track record of reliability keeps extending its service life every time budget planners discuss retiring the fleet.

Also see these Captivating Images of the Panavia Tornado.