Tornado GR4 profile: Built at height of the Cold War

Published on 04/07/2012 01:14

The Tornado GR4 is a multi-role ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft.

Developed throughout the 1970s, and brought into operation in the early 80s, the Tornado fighter has become the RAF’s principal strike weapon system.

Deployed at the height of the Cold War, the fighter was nuclear-capable and designed to be able to penetrate Soviet air defence at low-level.

British Aerospace, now BAE Systems, upgraded 142 Tornado GR1s to GR4 standard,  which were delivered to the RAF between  1996 and 2003.

However, since the withdrawal of the WE177 nuclear bomb, the Tornado’s strike capacity has been restricted to conventional weapons.

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