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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 3387.PDF
DEFENCE level operation. Medium-level operations revealed a problem of" poor target acquisition with radar". LIMITATIONS ADDRESSED The GRl's limitations in tiie medium-level role were addressed by rushing into the field two pre-production GEC-Marconi Thermal Imaging Airborne Laser Designator (TIALD) pods to supplement the Pavespike designators already deployed on Blackburn Buccaneers. TheMLU programme also became ensnared in the then Conservative Government's appar ently rolling defence reviews, with Treasury officials viewing the project as a "big, bigtarget". This resulted in a much-reduced scope for the MLU, the most visible element to suffer being the GEC Spartan TRN, which was deleted from the programme. Originally costed at around £1 billion ($1.6 billion), the eventual budget was cut to £7 50 million. Ditching the TRN deprived die GR4 of an all-weather, night-covert-penetration capabili ty because the FLIR is weather dependent, while the NVGs require adequate ambient light. Given certain conditions, a GR4 crew will have to resort to the active-emitter TFR to prosecute a mission at low level. The FLIR/NVG combination, however, will allow RAF Tornado units a more flexible approach in planning night missions. With die GR1, mission planning was heavily based around timing and track lines: with the GR4 crews will be able to use more day-formation- like tactics. The RAF is also looking at using the FLIR to allow night medium-level dive attacks. The effect of the these pressures has forced the RAF to "revisit MLU 88". Offsetting the deletion of the TRN, a global-positioning sys tem (GPS) and a TIALD pod were added to the new package, dubbed MLU 93. This package was eventually approved in 1994, covering the upgrade of 142 aircraft to GR4 standard. An initial service date of 1998 was specified. One of the problems facing prime contractor British Aerospace, which was awarded the MLU contract in mid-1994, was the Tornado fleet mix. The RAF operates seven different modification standards of Tornado GR1, which it admits has resulted in "supportability prob lems". One of the side benefits of the MLU will be to bring all of the GR4s to the same baseline standard, with the exception of the reconnais sance GR4As infra-red linescan system. Before being delivered to Warton, all of the 142 aircraft to be upgraded will go to RAF St Athan for what is described as a pre-input main tenance programme, to bring them all to a com mon standard. A total of 17 Tornado GRls will have been returned for upgrades at BAe Warton by the end of this year, and work will be carried out on more than 20 aircraft a year from 1998 up to the com pletion of the programme. Since the MLU was set in train, the Ministry of Defence has also placed contracts for several weapons for which the GR4 is a key platform: SR(A) 1242 for the Texas Instruments Paveway III laser-guided bomb, SR(A)1236 for the Matra BAe Dynamics Storm Shadow stand-off missile and SR(A) 1238 for the GEC-Marconi Brimstone anti-armour missile. The Paveway III, with the TIALD 400 Series pod, six-channel video and full integration of the Matra BAe Sea Eagle, are included in an additional GR4 work project, Package 1. The Storm Shadow, Brimstone and the Hughes RAPTOR reconnaissance pod are included in Package 2. Beyond this, Packages 3 and 4 are also envis aged to cover such areas as the possible intro duction of a missile-approach warning system, successor identification friend or foe, as well as a version of the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System 0TIDS). The JTIDS is being introduced on the Tornado F3 air- defence aircraft first. A hands-on-throttle-and- stick modification may also eventually find its way on to the GR4. DECOY POSSIBILITY The Tornado GR4 may also receive the Miniature Air-Launched Decoy as well as whichever system emerges to meet the RAF's requirement for an improved-accuracy free-fall bomb - aldiough whether this requirement is eventually addressed by purchasing GPS-based modification kits, or an off-the-shelf purchase of the Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition, remains to be seen. The aircraft may also be fit ted with the GEC Marconi towed radar decoy. Alongside the RAF's GR4 programme, the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) may also imple ment a similar upgrade for its Tornado In- terdictor Strike fleet. The RSAF has been briefed by both the RAF and the MoD on the project. As well as the GR4 upgrade, the Saudis are also interested in purchasing both a short-range tactical air-launched anti-armour weapon, and a long-range precision strike missile. The Brim stone and the Storm Shadow are being consid ered to fulfil these requirements. The RAF's present planned out-of-service date for its Tornado GR4 fleet is 2 018, although there are those close to the programme who firmly believe that the aircraft will stay in service beyond 2020, before it is eventually replaced by the Future Offensive Air System, whatever this eventually turns out to be. • Panavia Tornado GR4 mid-life update changes from Tornado GR1 Sources: British Aerospace Video-recording Computer-loading Global-positioning Night-vision system _^- system ^, system goggles Pilot's multi-function display Laser fairing FLIR fairing Intercooler (uprated) Uprated environmental control system TIALD (shoulder pylon) SMS/ACS (armaments) pre-cooler new panels FLIGHT FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 10 -16 December 1997 39
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