Panavia Tornado GR4
The RAF's mid-life rebuild of the GR1 — precision strike until 2019 · First flight 1997 · In service 1997
The GR4 was a mid-life update of the RAF's Tornado GR1 fleet, approved in 1994. British Aerospace flew the first converted aircraft from Warton on 4 April 1997, delivered it on 31 October 1997, and returned the last of 142 upgraded jets to the RAF on 10 June 2003. Outwardly the clearest sign is the forward-looking infrared sensor fitted under the nose in place of the left-hand cannon; inside, the navigation, cockpit and weapon systems were renewed.
Through later upgrades the GR4 became a precision-strike aircraft, carrying the Storm Shadow cruise missile, Brimstone and Paveway IV guided bombs, and the RAPTOR reconnaissance pod. It served with RAF squadrons at Marham and Lossiemouth and flew over Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and, finally, Syria and Iraq again under Operation Shader.
The GR4 flew its last operational sorties on 31 January 2019. The last RAF Tornado flight was made by ZA463 over RAF Marham on 14 March 2019, and the type was formally retired on 1 April 2019, the RAF's 101st anniversary — ending almost 40 years of Tornado service in Britain.
