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Fonte ..... "Britain and Germany Are Still Upgrading the Tornado" .....The deployment of four UK Royal Air Force Tornadoes to perform overwatch of Iraq, and an unconfirmed report last week that more might be deployed for surveillance of northern Nigeria, serves to illustrate the ongoing value of the aging but effective “Tonka.”
Although the RAF fleet is scheduled to be retired in 2019 in favor of the F-35, upgrades continue, with another one announced recently.
Meanwhile, the German air force intends to keep its Tornado fleet until at least 2025, with its own upgrades.
Fonte ..... http://www.milavia.net/aircraft/tornado/tornado.htmAlso the Italian Air Force (AMI) Tornado IDS and ECR fleet has been put through a mid life update, carried out primarily by Alenia.
The Italian MLU program knows three standards, RET 6, 7 and 8, with the latter being the full upgrade.
18 IDS aircraft received the RET 6 initial upgrade of navigation and communication systems, and integration of new weapons.
15 IDS aircraft, including three IDS-T, were upgraded to RET 7 standard which also involved structural life extension work and basic integration with the RecceLite pod.
The final batch of 25 aircraft, including 15 ECR variants, the full upgrade; RET 8.
RET 8 also introduces improved displays with NVG compatibility, full integration with RecceLite, MIDS Link16, the AGM-88E ARM and GBU-39 SDB.
The MLU will enable the Tornado to stay in Italian Air Force service until 2025 or beyond, but with the breakdown in three tranches it's likely this only applies to the 25 RET 8 aircraft and some of the RET 7 aircraft rather than the full fleet of 58.
Fonte ..... "Tornado could fly on into 2030s, partners say" .....Europe’s Panavia Tornado will remain in use as a relevant frontline asset for more than another 10 years, according to its programme partners, even though one of its main operators does not plan to retain the type beyond the end of the decade.
Caricali un paio di missili se riesci!
Fonte ..... "Cameron makes surprise visit to Cyprus to meet RAF carrying out airstrikes on ISIS as it emerges squadron was due to be disbanded before being reprieved for a year to lead bombing campaign" .....The frontline RAF Tornado squadron spearheading Britain’s air strikes on jihadist fighters in Iraq was saved from government defence cuts last night – for at least a year.
In a surprise visit to Cyprus, David Cameron announced that 102-year old No II Squadron, which had been due to be disbanded in April, would be reprieved.
Fonte ..... "UK Tornado run-on hits RAF F-35 bed down planning" .....United Kingdom air force planners are having to rapidly re-cast their plans to establish infrastructure at the proposed main operating base for their Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs as a result of the Royal Air Force's (RAF's) growing involvement in the war against Islamic State.
Fonte ..... "Life of RAF Tornado squadron further extended to 2018" .....Further detail on the UK Ministry of Defence’s November Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) has revealed the retirement of a Panavia Tornado GR4 squadron will be pushed back to 2018, from the previously announced 2017 date.
Last August, defence secretary Michael Fallon said a delayed retirement from 2016 until March 2017, of the Royal Air Force’s 12 Sqn, would allow the type to continue operating until the Eurofighter Typhoon was able to fully take over the ground-attack role in Iraq and Syria.
However, the next retirement of a Tornado squadron has now been pushed back further, to 2018.
Fonte ..... "Enhanced Brimstone completes RAF Tornado assessment" .....The Royal Air Force has completed a series of trials of the enhanced variant of MBDA's Brimstone air-to-surface missile using the Panavia Tornado GR4.
Eleven flights were carried out during the operational assessment, which was conducted in February at the US Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California.
The activity marks a “major step” towards the weapon being granted its release to service with the RAF.
Further assessment is expected to take place ahead of this milestone, which will eventually lead to integration on board the RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoons in 2018.
Fonte: flightglobal.com ..... "RAF Tornados poised for operational end" .....The UK Royal Air Force is within days of completing its last combat deployment involving the Panavia Tornado GR4, as preparations gather pace for the ground-attack stalwart's formal retirement by 31 March.
Eight of the service's remaining 22 Tornados are currently supporting coalition operations over Iraq and Syria, having been deployed to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus from their home base at Marham in Norfolk.
The strike aircraft are crewed by a mix of personnel from its 9 and 31 squadrons, both of which are scheduled to be formally disbanded in mid-March.
