List of Panavia Tornado operators
| Industry | Military aviation |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Various countries |
Area served | Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia |
Operators
As of 2018, there are 320 Tornado aircraft still in active service. Units currently operational are indicated in bold.
- Aeronautica Militare - Italy purchased 100 IDS models (99 production units plus one pre-series converted), including 12 two-seat trainers and 16 modified into ECR versions. Between 1993 and 2004, Italy leased 24 ADV jets from the United Kingdom. By 2018, the Italian fleet comprised 70 IDS and 5 ECR Tornados.
- 102° Gruppo, 6° Stormo stationed at Ghedi, flying IDS variants. Operational since 1993.
- 154° Gruppo, 6° Stormo based at Ghedi, operating IDS Tornados. Active since 1982.
- 155° Gruppo E.T.S., 6° Stormo located at Ghedi, flying IDS/ECR types. Active from 1985; equipped with ECR models starting in 1998.
- 156° Gruppo, 6° Stormo at Ghedi, IDS variant. Currently inactive.
- 12° Gruppo, 36° Stormo based at Gioia del Colle, ADV type. No longer active; replaced by Eurofighter Typhoon.
- 21° Gruppo, 36° Stormo stationed at Gioia del Colle, ADV jets. Transitioned to helicopters for special operations.
- Luftwaffe - Germany procured a total of 245 Tornados: comprising 210 IDS and 35 ECR aircraft.
- Jagdbombergeschwader 31 "Boelcke" located at Nörvenich, operated IDS aircraft. Converted to Eurofighter Typhoon in 2009.
- Jagdbombergeschwader 32 at Lagerlechfeld, flying ECR variants (34 units). Disbanded in March 2013.
- Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33 based at Büchel, currently active with IDS aircraft numbering 46.
- Jagdbombergeschwader 34 "Allgäu" located in Memmingen. Disbanded in 2003.
- Jagdbombergeschwader 38 "Friesland" stationed at Jever. Disbanded in 2005.
- Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51 "Immelmann" operating from Jagel/Schleswig with ECR Tornados. Maintains activity with a fleet of 25 aircraft.
- Fliegerisches Ausbildungszentrum der Luftwaffe situated at Holloman AFB, USA, served as an IDS Operational Conversion Unit until its disbandment in December 2019.
- Marineflieger - The German Naval Air Arm operated a fleet of 112 IDS Tornados dedicated to anti-ship roles.
- Marinefliegergeschwader 1 based at Jagel, flying IDS models. Disbanded in 1994.
- Marinefliegergeschwader 2 stationed at Eggebek, operating IDS Tornados. Disbanded in 2005.
- Royal Air Force - The United Kingdom acquired a total of 228 IDS aircraft (including reconnaissance and anti-shipping variants) alongside 165 ADV models (18 F.2s and 147 F.3s). The RAF officially retired the Tornado fleet in March 2019.
- Prominent squadrons included:
- No. II Squadron (GR4/4A), disbanded January 2015.
- No. IX Squadron (GR4/4A), disbanded March 2019.
- No. XV Squadron (GR4), served as an operational conversion unit until disbanding in March 2017.
- No. XIII Squadron (GR4/4A), ceased operations May 2011.
- No. XXV Squadron (F3), disbanded April 2008.
- No.1435 Flight (F3) based at Mount Pleasant, Falklands, replaced by Typhoon jets in September 2009.
- Prominent squadrons included:
Multiple other RAF squadrons operated various Tornado variants until their respective deactivations between the late 1980s and March 2019.
- Royal Saudi Air Force - Saudi Arabia initially obtained a total of 72 Tornados (48 IDS and 24 ADV) and subsequently added another batch of 48 IDS aircraft.
- 7th Squadron RSAF operating IDS Tornados
- 75th Squadron RSAF equipped with IDS variants
- 83rd Squadron RSAF flying IDS aircraft
- Lake, Jon. "RAF Aircraft: Part 1 – The Panavia Tornado". Air International, Vol. 74, No. 4, April 2008, pp. 24–29. ISSN 0306-5634.
- Lake, Jon. "Tornado Variant Overview: Part III: Operators of the Tornado". World Air Power Journal, Volume 32, Spring 1998, pp. 118–137. London: Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-86184-006-3. ISSN 0959-7050.
- List, Friedrich. "Review of German Air Forces". Air International, Vol. 70, No. 5, May 2006, pp. 50–57. ISSN 0306-5634.