Tornado GR4

Upgraded strike variant of the Anglo-German-Italian Tornado IDS flown by the Royal Air Force, fitted with modern precision-guided weapons, a forward-looking infrared pod and improved cockpit displays. It saw extensive combat over Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria before UK retirement in 2019.

In service since 1998 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

2,400

km/h

3,890

km range

15,240

m ceiling

9,000

kg payload

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

UK export-licensed

Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.

Channel: Government-to-government or direct

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 1998. Status: legacy.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 2,400 km/h

Stronger than 77% of fighters
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.: 2.2 Mach

Stronger than 71% of fighters
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 3,890 km

Stronger than 81% of fighters
Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.: 1,390 km

Stronger than 78% of fighters
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 15,240 m

Stronger than 32% of fighters

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon
Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.: 7

Stronger than 17% of fighters
Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.: 9,000 kg

Stronger than 82% of fighters

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 16.72 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.: 13.91 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 5.95 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 14,091 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 27,950 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 2

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk103 afterburning turbofan
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 2
Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).: 72 kN

Bottom 10% of fighters
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turbofan

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: RAPTOR reconnaissance pod, TIALD laser designator pod, terrain-following radar

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 23% of fighters

Specifications compiled from public Eurofighter GmbH and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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