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Fighter aircraft

United Kingdom Legacy

Panavia Aircraft GmbH

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.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the Tornado GR4 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

Storm Shadow Paveway IV

Brimstone ALARM

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 79% 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 Panavia Aircraft GmbH and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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