How many war zones have our Tornadoes attended?

[tinman0]

Reading the reports of our Tornadoes being readied for Libya makes you wonder how many different operations they've been involved in?

Got to be a fair few, although I'm not sure they attended Falklands (don't mind being wrong).

[Eric Mc]

tinman0 said:

Reading the reports of our Tornadoes being readied for Libya makes you wonder how many different operations they've been involved in?

Got to be a fair few, although I'm not sure they attended Falklands (don't mind being wrong).

They only attended the Falklands after the war was over and a proper airbase existed.

Tornadoes could not be used during the actual Falkland's War itself. The only fast jets that could be used were the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier FRS1s and the RAF Harrier GR3s.

RAF Tornafoes have been engaged in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and now perhaps Libya.


Libya will be the first deployment of teh Typhoon, I think.

[tinman0]

Eric Mc said:

RAF Tornafoes have been engaged in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and now perhaps Libya.

Iraq 1&2? What about the Balkans?

[Eric Mc]

tinman0 said:

Eric Mc said:

RAF Tornafoes have been engaged in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and now perhaps Libya.

Iraq 1&2? What about the Balkans?

Not sure. I know there were Harriers used in the Balkans. I mentioned Iraq.
Falklands definitely not.

[aeropilot]

Eric Mc said:

Not sure. I know there were Harriers used in the Balkans.

Tornado GR.1 was used operationally by the RAF in bombing missions in the Balkans. The 1999 RAF detachment included 16 x GR7 Harriers from 1 Sqn, and 20 x GR.1 Tornados from 9, 31 & 14 Sqns.

[Eric Mc]

What about Sierra Leone or was that choppers only?

[davepoth]

Eric Mc said:

Tornadoes could not be used during the actual Falkland's War itself. The only fast jets that could be used were the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier FRS1s and the RAF Harrier GR3s.

Cough-Vulcan-Cough

[anonymous-user]

Eric Mc said:

What about Sierra Leone or was that choppers only?

Mostly SH, but with some C130, Nimrod R1 and possibly E3 input. Think Harrier might've got some time down there too.

[fadeaway]

davepoth said:

Eric Mc said:

Tornadoes could not be used during the actual Falkland's War itself. The only fast jets that could be used were the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier FRS1s and the RAF Harrier GR3s.

Cough-Vulcan-Cough

cough-fast-cough jets

[Eric Mc]

davepoth said:

Eric Mc said:

Tornadoes could not be used during the actual Falkland's War itself. The only fast jets that could be used were the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier FRS1s and the RAF Harrier GR3s.

Cough-Vulcan-Cough

Not in its current configuration. You might as well send down a Lockheed Hercules and throw bombs out the back.

[tinman0]

Does anyone know how individual squadrons actually compare with active service? Be interesting to see US included.

Can't help feeling we get good value for money out of our (limited) kit. Better than the French and Germans at least.

[davepoth]

fadeaway said:

cough-fast-cough jets

Sea Harrier top speed in level flight? Mach .97.

Vulcan top speed in level flight? Mach .96.

One is a fast jet, and one isn't?

[Rotary Madness]

Eric Mc said:

davepoth said:

Eric Mc said:

Tornadoes could not be used during the actual Falkland's War itself. The only fast jets that could be used were the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier FRS1s and the RAF Harrier GR3s.

Cough-Vulcan-Cough

Not in its current configuration. You might as well send down a Lockheed Hercules and throw bombs out the back.

That sounds like fun.

[Oily Nails]

Rotary Madness said:

Eric Mc said:

davepoth said:

Eric Mc said:

Tornadoes could not be used during the actual Falkland's War itself. The only fast jets that could be used were the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier FRS1s and the RAF Harrier GR3s.

Cough-Vulcan-Cough

Not in its current configuration. You might as well send down a Lockheed Hercules and throw bombs out the back.

That sounds like fun.

yeah...totally ineffective

[Simpo Two]

davepoth said:

Sea Harrier top speed in level flight? Mach .97.

Vulcan top speed in level flight? Mach .96.

One is a fast jet, and one isn't?

Fast jet means 'fighter'; ie small fast light and manoeuverable generally for shooting things down. Vulcan is/was a socking great bomber; entirely different role.

I think the Herc would make a good bomber in some circumstances - it just has the bomb doors at the back rather than underneathe

[davepoth]

A Hercules bomber would be pretty decent for bombing people who don't have SAMs.

[sanf]

Simpo Two said:

davepoth said:

Sea Harrier top speed in level flight? Mach .97.

Vulcan top speed in level flight? Mach .96.

One is a fast jet, and one isn't?

Fast jet means 'fighter'; ie small fast light and manoeuverable generally for shooting things down. Vulcan is/was a socking great bomber; entirely different role.

That's a great can of worms. My father was a Lightning pilot, so fast jet. Step father flew Vulcans (non fast jet) and Buccaneers - based on the above the Bucc would be a non fast jet, but most of the pilots and nav's would disagree with that, Buccaneer also a large bomber, so......

Edited by sanf on Saturday 19th March 18:53

[Simpo Two]

I remember making a model of the Buccaneer - it had a rotating bomb door. Low level ground attack IIRC, but not 'large'.

The fighter vs bomber distinction is less useful because these days they get everything to do everything.

[KieronGSi]

Eric Mc said:

Not sure. I know there were Harriers used in the Balkans. I mentioned Iraq.
Falklands definitely not.

Tornados were used in Kosovo. I lived at RAF Bruggen where they were operating from.

[Eric Mc]

Simpo Two said:

I remember making a model of the Buccaneer - it had a rotating bomb door. Low level ground attack IIRC, but not 'large'.

The fighter vs bomber distinction is less useful because these days they get everything to do everything.

Sounds like the ancient Airfix kit which featured a working rotating bomb bay. In fact, the original Airfix kit was so old that it wasn't really a model of a Buccaneer at all. It was based on the NA39 development aircraft which differed markedly from the initial production version, the S1.