Credit
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Michael Sandberg. · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified
FORCETALLY
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At a glance
Measured figures
Tornado GR4 · Length
Single source16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)[source]
Length
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | Panavia Tornado | Shenyang J-16 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Multirole aircraft , strike aircraft[source] | — |
| National origin | Italy, West Germany, United Kingdom[source] | People's Republic of China[source] |
| Manufacturer | Panavia Aircraft GmbH[source] | Shenyang Aircraft Corporation[source] |
| Status | In service[source] | In service[source] |
21.9 m (71 ft 10 in)[source]
Empty; Tornado GR4 · Empty weight
Single sourceGross; Tornado GR4 · Gross weight
Single sourceMaximum take-off; Tornado GR4 · Max takeoff weight
Single source13,890 kg (30,622 lb)[source]
20,410 kg (44,996 lb)[source]
27,215 kg (59,999 lb)[source]
Empty; Empty weight
Single sourceMaximum take-off; Max takeoff weight
Single sourceTornado GR4 · Combat radius Hi-Lo-Hi >
Single sourceTornado GR4 · ), combat radius Lo-Lo-Lo >
Single sourceTornado GR4 · Combat range
Single sourceTornado GR4 · ), Hi-Hi-Hi with 1 hour loiter >
Single sourceTornado GR4 · > · source measurement 2
Single sourceTornado GR4 · > · source measurement 4
Single sourceTornado GR4 · > · source measurement 6
Single source3,148 km (1,956 mi, 1,700 nmi) Combat radius Hi-Lo-Hi >850 nmi (>1574 km), combat radius Lo-Lo-Lo >500 nmi (>926 km), Hi-Hi-Hi with 1 hour loiter >700 nmi (> 1296 km).[source]
Tornado GR4 · 2 × Turbo-Union RB199 -34R Mk 103 afterburning 3-spool turbofan thrust each dry
Single sourceTornado GR4 · with afterburner
Single source2 × Turbo-Union RB199 -34R Mk 103 afterburning 3-spool turbofan, 43.8 kN (9,800 lbf) thrust each dry, 76.8 kN (17,300 lbf) with afterburner[source]
2 × Shenyang WS-10B afterburning turbofans with afterburner
Single source2 × Shenyang WS-10B afterburning turbofans , 135 kN (30,000 lbf) with afterburner[source]
45,000 ft/min
Single source230 m/s (45,000 ft/min)[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Primary users |
|---|
German Air Force Italian Air Force Royal Saudi Air Force Royal Air Force (historical)[source] |
| — |
| Number built | 990: 745, Tornado IDS 194, Tornado ADV 0 51, Tornado ECR[source] | ~ 470 - ~ 500 (As of 2026 )[source] |
|---|
| Manufactured | 1979–1998[source] | 2017–present[source] |
|---|
| Introduction date | 1979[source] | 2015–16[source] |
|---|
| First flight | 14 August 1974[source] | — |
|---|
| Retired | 2019 (RAF)[source] | — |
|---|
| Variant | Panavia Tornado ADV[source] | — |
|---|
| Fuel capacity | 6,350 kg (14,000 lb) internal[source] | — |
|---|
| Guns | 1 × 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon internally mounted under starboard side of fuselage with 180 rounds[source] | — |
|---|
| Hardpoints | 3 × under-fuselage and 4 × under-wing pylon stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb), with provisions to carry combinations of: Missiles: 2 × AIM-9 Sidewinder (AIM-9B / AIM-9G / AIM-9L) (GR.1) or AIM-132 ASRAAM air-to-air missiles for self-defence (GR.4) 12 × Brimstone air-to-surface missile ; or 2 × Storm Shadow cruise missile 9 × ALARM anti-radiation missile Bombs: 5 × 500 lb (230 kg) Paveway IV ; or 3 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) (UK Mk 20) Paveway II/Enhanced Paveway II ; or 2 × 2,000 lb (910 kg) Paveway III (GBU-24)/Enhanced Paveway III (EGBU-24) ; or BL755 cluster bombs ; or Up to 2 × JP233 or MW-1 or Skyshark munitions dispensers (for runway cratering operations) Up to 4 × B61 or WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons Other: Up to 4 × drop tanks for ferry flight/extended range/flight time[source] | Munitions on 12 external hardpoints, including:[source] |
|---|
| Swept wingspan | 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in) swept at 67° sweep[source] | — |
|---|
| Time to altitude | 30,000 ft in less than 2 minutes from brake release[source] | — |
|---|
| Wing loading | 767 kg/m 2 (157 lb/sq ft)[source] | — |
|---|
| Thrust/weight | 0.77[source] | — |
|---|
| Missiles | 2 × AIM-9 Sidewinder (AIM-9B / AIM-9G / AIM-9L) (GR.1) or AIM-132 ASRAAM air-to-air missiles for self-defence (GR.4) 12 × Brimstone air-to-surface missile ; or 2 × Storm Shadow cruise missile 9 × ALARM anti-radiation missile[source] | — |
|---|
| Bombs | 5 × 500 lb (230 kg) Paveway IV ; or 3 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) (UK Mk 20) Paveway II/Enhanced Paveway II ; or 2 × 2,000 lb (910 kg) Paveway III (GBU-24)/Enhanced Paveway III (EGBU-24) ; or BL755 cluster bombs ; or Up to 2 × JP233 or MW-1 or Skyshark munitions dispensers (for runway cratering operations) Up to 4 × B61 or WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons[source] | — |
|---|
| Other | Up to 4 × drop tanks for ferry flight/extended range/flight time[source] | — |
|---|
| Role | — | Multirole strike fighter[source] |
|---|
| Primary user | — | People's Liberation Army Air Force[source] |
|---|
| Developed from | — | Shenyang J-11 Su-30MKK[source] |
|---|
| g limits | — | +9[source] |
|---|