TECHNICAL

THE BASIC FEATURES DISTINGUISHING ECR

absence of IWKA Mauser BK 27 cannons

FLIR sensor on the starboard side of the front wheel well

IRLS container under the fuselage behind the front wheel well

ELS system antennas on the fixed wing leading edges

(larger black areas in comparison to IDS)

TaktLwG 51

As of 1994 Tornadoes ECR were based only

at JaBoG 32 with 321 Staffel “Lechfeld Tigers”

and 322 Staffel “Flying Monsters”. Lechfeld

was a home of ECRs until March 31, 2013,

when the JaBogG 32 was disbanded as a result of 2011 Ministry of Defense reorganization and Tornadoes ECR were transferred to

Schleswig air base in the north of Germany

to TaktLwG (Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader) 51 “Immelmann”. This unit was established in 2013 as a result of the reorganiTornado 46+28 at CIAF 2006

(photo: Michal Fárek)

JaBoG 32

zation by merging the reconnaissance AG

(Aufklarungsgeschwader) 51 “Immelmann ''

flying Tornadoes Recce and JaBoG 32 operating ECRs.

Technical description, roles,

camouflage and markings

Tornado ECR design does not differ from

the basic IDS version. It is twin-engine, two-seat, upper wing, 25 to 67 degrees swept

wing configuration. Stabilators provide altitude change at simultaneous deflection or

roll control at the dissimilar deflection. After

the landing rollout they can be applied as

an aerodynamic brake. The wing features

a complex mechanization. There are three

sections of deployable slots on each leading

edge. There are two-part spoilers on the

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upper wing surface working either as aerodynamic brakes or helping to control the rate

of roll and each trailing edge features four-part, double slotted Fowler landing flaps.

The cockpit is equipped with Martin Baker

Mk.10A 0-0 ejection seats with. The power

plants are three shaft Turbo Union RB199-34R Mk.105 with maximum thrust 42.5 kN

and 74.3 kN at after-burner setting. This engine version supplies 10% higher thrust than

Tornado IDS engines. They are among the

noisiest engines in the military. The exhausts

are equipped with thrust reverses to shorten

the landing rollout. There are seven hard points to attach the ordnance and special equipment. Three of them are located under the

fuselage, between main wheel wells and two

are under each sweeping half of the wing.

The Tornado ECR mission is radio-electronic

reconnaissance, enemy’s radio-electronic

equipment jamming and their destruction.

To accomplish these tasks ECR is equipped

with special devices and weapons. Thanks

to its navigational equipment and radar it

is able to penetrate the enemy’s territory

at the low altitude, up to 150 meters and at

high airspeed. By means of the special equipment and weapons this Tornado is capable

of active jamming and destruction of the

enemy’s air defense equipment from a safe

distance, outside of their effective range.

In the beginning of their career Tornadoes

ECR were painted in the NORM83 standard

camouflage scheme in two patterns, A and

B. Altogether there were three NORM83 patterns implemented but pattern C was discontinued early after its introduction in the

1980s. NORM83 A, B consists of three shades - RAL 6003 olive green, RAL 7021 black

gray and FS34079 dark green. Both NORM83

patterns differ in the color distribution. The

specific variant basic pattern is fundamentally identical on each aircraft, or we can say

with minimal deviation from it.

Starting in the mid-1990s the new camouflage standard, NORM95, started to be applied.

It also appeared in two patterns, again designated as A and B. The shades were light

gray FS36375, medium gray FS36320 and

blue gray FS35237. As with NORM83 the color pattern of the applied variant is virtually

the same on all aircraft. For the last fifteen

NORM83A

INFO Eduard - FEBRUARY 2022