Panavia Tornado: libri illustrati di storia e guide

Panavia Tornado: Flying in the FAF, German, Italian and Saoudi air forces (Duke Hawkins)

Questo libro di Duke Hawkins presenta con magnifiche foto il Panavia Tornado, in servizio presso le forze aeree francesi, tedesche, italiane e saudite. Mostra il Tornado GR4, GR4a, IDS e ECR. Un capitolo separato è dedicato al Tornado F3.
Questo album contiene non solo foto d'azione, ma anche numerose foto "di visita" che mostrano i dettagli dell'aereo da diverse angolazioni. Capitoli sul cockpit, sul fusoliera, sull'armamento e sui lavori di manutenzione.

La serie "Aircraft in Detail" è nata dalla collaborazione tra piloti, tecnici aeronautici e modellisti. Questo volume (n. 5) sul Panavia Tornado è illustrato con oltre 300 fotografie a colori di altissima qualità, per la maggior parte inedite.

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Panavia Tornado

Il Tornado è un esempio riuscito di cooperazione europea nell'aviazione militare. Progettato in risposta a una richiesta del 1968 per un velivolo da combattimento polivalente biposto (MRCA), è stato sviluppato dal consorzio Panavia, composto da British Aerospace, dal tedesco MBB e dall'italiano Aeritalia.
Effettuando il suo primo volo nell'agosto 1974, questo aereo bimotore a geometria variabile è entrato in servizio negli anni 1980 con la Royal Air Force, la Luftwaffe e i Marineflieger tedeschi, così come con l'Aeronautica Militare italiana. Ha avuto un ruolo chiave durante la Guerra Fredda.

I Tornado GR della RAF sono stati impiegati per 38 anni in operazioni della NATO, in particolare nel Golfo, in Afghanistan, nei Balcani, in Libia e in Siria, prima del loro ritiro nel 2019. I Tornado tedeschi e italiani continuano le loro missioni in Siria e in Iraq.
In totale, sono stati costruiti 940 Tornado, di cui 96 per l'Arabia Saudita e varianti dedicate alla difesa aerea, oltre a nove prototipi e sei velivoli di pre-produzione. Nel 2024, oltre 200 sono ancora in servizio.

L'esperto di aviazione David Oliver ripercorre in questo libro lo sviluppo, la produzione e la storia operativa del Tornado. Illustrato con 200 immagini, tratta il suo utilizzo da parte delle forze aeree del Regno Unito, della Germania, dell'Italia e dell'Arabia Saudita, nonché il suo ruolo nei conflitti maggiori.

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RAF Tornado Units of Gulf War I (Osprey)

When the Gulf Crisis of 1990 was triggered by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the RAF responded by sending Tornado F 3 fighters to Saudi Arabia to help defend the country against further aggression.
These aircraft were followed by the deployment of Tornado GR 1 strike/attack aircraft to Bahrain. Eventually three wings of Tornado GR 1s were established in Bahrain, Tabuk and Dhahran, as well as a detachment of Tornado GR 1A reconnaissance aircraft.
At the start of hostilities in January 1991, the Tornado GR 1 wings carried out night-low-level attacks against Iraqi Main Operating Bases using the JP233 runway denial weapon. Meanwhile, Combat Air Patrols from the Tornado F 3 wing ensured the integrity of Saudi airspace.

Once air supremacy had been established, the Tornado GR 1 force moved to medium-level operations, initially by night and later by day, to attack the Iraqi oil production and storage infrastructure.
The arrival in theatre of a laser designation capability with Pave Spike/Buccaneer and TIALD/Tornado enabled precision attacks against the Iraq transport system to cut off the frontline troops from resupply and reinforcement and then to carry out a systematic destruction of the airfield facilities. Tornado GR 1A reconnaissance operations played a major role in the location of Scud missile launchers and in the planning and execution of the land offensive.
Throughout the conflict, the Tornado F 3 wing at Dhahran carried out defensive counter-air operations to ensure the safety of the base areas.

This volume, publishing 30 years after the conflict to free Kuwait, provides detailed first-hand accounts of the missions undertaken by the Tornado crews. It is illustrated by photographs taken by aircrew involved in the operation and includes 30 newly commissioned profile artworks and detailed nose art views of the aircraft ranged against Iraq.

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Tornado - A History

Concentrates on Tornado Reconnaissance, looking at the two squadrons, II(AC) and XII, the systems they employed, and their worth to the overall structure, interspersed with personal tales of front line operations.

This book explains the concept of the internal recce system, TIRRS and covers the replacement systems JRP and Raptor. Tornado enthusiasts will enjoy the multitude of air to air and ground shots.

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Tornado F3 : a Navigator's Eye on Britain's Last Interceptor

The Tornado F2 had a troubled introduction to service. Unwanted by its crews and procured as a political imperative, it was blighted by failures in the acquisition system. It was adapted from a multi-national design, planned by committee, and developed to counter a threat which disappeared. Modified rapidly before it could be sent to war, the Tornado F3 eventually matured into a capable weapons system, but despite datalinks and new air-to-air weapons, its poor reputation sealed its fate.
David Gledhill, a former Tornado F3 navigator, tells the story from an insider's perspective of the early days as one of the first instructors on the Operational Conversion Unit, through the aircraft's development and operational testing, to its demise. He reflects on the aircraft's capabilities and deficiencies, and analyses why it was mostly under-estimated by opponents.

David Gledhill trained as a navigator and flew the Phantom and Tornado F3 on squadrons and as an instructor. He eventually became the Executive Officer on the Tornado Operational Conversion Unit and also commanded No. 1435 Flight in the Falkland Islands. He was responsible for many of the development programmes for the Tornado F3 and much of its operational testing, both in the MoD and at the Air Warfare Centre, throughout the aircraft's service life.

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Tornado GR1 : An Operational History

Replacing the Vulcan, Buccaneer and Jaguar in the front line of the Cold War, the remarkable swing-winged Tornado GR1 provided Britain s strike capability in the last years of the Cold War in the 1980s, equipping some 10 RAF squadrons.
During the Gulf War, Tornado GR1 crews led Britain s contribution to Coalition operations against Iraq, and in the subsequent years Tornado GR1s were involved almost continuously in operations over Iraq. In 1999 the Tornado GR1 force carried out offensive missions over Kosovo as part of NATO operations in the Balkans.

The Tornado GR1's Terrain Following Radar gave the aircraft a unique capability: it was the first RAF aircraft to have the ability to operate at low-level at night and in all-weathers. The incredible flexibility of both the aircraft and its crews was demonstrated by the successful switch to medium-level operations, using laser-guided weapons, after the Cold War.

This book describes in detail the accomplishments and day-to-day workings of the operational RAF Tornado GR1 units in the UK, Germany, the Middle East and across the globe. It is underpinned by research from original official documents, augmented by the personal accounts by Tornado air- and ground-crews. It is richly illustrated throughout with photographs of the aircraft.

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