Page 86 - History of War - Issue 25-16

Operator’s Handbook

Europe’s multi-role workhorse has stood the test of
PANAVIA time to serve in more than i ve decades of combat
AD

WORDS & IMAGES NEILL WATSON

Right: A crew of two and supersonic
capability made the Tornado a superb
weapons platform

During the 1960s, the UK’s Royal Air Force,
t the end of World War II, early generation together with other global air forces, began “COMPANIES FROM BRITAIN,
jet technology was incorporated into
Astunning new designs, as jets including to look to the future and their requirements GERMANY, ITALY AND THE
the AVRO Vulcan, Gloster Meteor and American for fast jet warfare. The RAF’s Buccaneer
Lockheed T-33 replaced piston-engined aircraft. and AVRO Vulcan would eventually need to NETHERLANDS FORMED A JOINT
This early generation of jet engine technology be replaced. Britain, having controversially
was advancing at a very high rate. Together with rejected the American F-111 as unsuitable, COMPANY CALLED PANAVIA TO
cancelled the pioneering TSR-2 project and
advances in aerodynamic features including
swept wings, plus the growing threat from Russia, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, and Belgium DEVELOP AND MANUFACTURE
continued to search for a solution. Germany,
these early jets were soon out of date. Several
nations realised the next generation of fast jet all needed to i nd a replacement for the THE NEW JET”
was going to be extremely expensive to develop. ageing, early generation F-104 Stari ghter.