Photo: Panavia
For some, when looking back at the military achievements of the World War II Luftwaffe, the present-day German military Air Force is nothing but a pale copy. Granted, that is not entirely today Germany’s fault, as the country needs to follow strict rules regarding its armed forces.
According to the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA), the country of over 80 million is defended by just a little over 420 aircraft, with the fighter fleet consisting mostly of the Eurofighter Typhoons (128) and significantly fewer (74) Tornados.
The latter Luftwaffe airplane is handled by German company Panavia as a twin-engine multirole machine. Three variants of the thing presently exist, the IDS, ECR, and ADV, each with different roles: fighter-bomber, electronic combat, and air defense, respectively.
Tornados are also deployed by the Air Forces of Italy, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. They can reach a top speed of Mach 2.2 and have a range of up to 3,890 km (2,420 miles). As far as weapons and other hardware go, it can carry missiles, bombs, and up to four drop tanks of fuel.
Like most other planes presently out there, these also come with radar of their own, needed for various tasks. Given how the first flight of the Tornado took place in 1974, some of the hardware it packs, including the radars, require an overhaul.
The Luftwaffe plans to upgrade these systems of the Tornado fleet and has selected Swedish company Saab for the task—the same that has been supplying them since 1999. The new components to be installed will “enhance the processing power and extend the lifetime of the Tornado’s radar warning equipment,” Saab said.
Work on the aircraft will begin as soon as this year, and it will extend all the way into 2025. Locations in both Germany and Sweden will be used to perform the upgrades.
The latter Luftwaffe airplane is handled by German company Panavia as a twin-engine multirole machine. Three variants of the thing presently exist, the IDS, ECR, and ADV, each with different roles: fighter-bomber, electronic combat, and air defense, respectively.
Tornados are also deployed by the Air Forces of Italy, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. They can reach a top speed of Mach 2.2 and have a range of up to 3,890 km (2,420 miles). As far as weapons and other hardware go, it can carry missiles, bombs, and up to four drop tanks of fuel.
Like most other planes presently out there, these also come with radar of their own, needed for various tasks. Given how the first flight of the Tornado took place in 1974, some of the hardware it packs, including the radars, require an overhaul.
The Luftwaffe plans to upgrade these systems of the Tornado fleet and has selected Swedish company Saab for the task—the same that has been supplying them since 1999. The new components to be installed will “enhance the processing power and extend the lifetime of the Tornado’s radar warning equipment,” Saab said.
Work on the aircraft will begin as soon as this year, and it will extend all the way into 2025. Locations in both Germany and Sweden will be used to perform the upgrades.
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