NATO
Tiger Meet 2002
PHOTOS
Tornado IDS - Italy
This is the Tornado IDS of the
155º Gruppo, 50º Stormo, of the Aeronautica Militare Italiana based
at Piacenza.
Tornado IDS - Italy
Detail of the fuselage artwork.
Tornado IT-ECR - Italy
This is the Tornado ECR of the
155º Gruppo, 50º Stormo, of the Aeronautica Militare Italiana based
at Piacenza.
Tornado IT-ECR - Italy
AGM-88 launch marks.
Unit
History
The 155º Gruppo was formed on 15 June 1940 at Ciampino Sud
equipped with Fiat G 50. Since then, 155º Gruppo was equipped
with Macchi MC 202, Macchi MC 205, Spitfire Mk V and Mk IX, P-51D
Mustang, DH 100 Vampire, F-84G Thunderjet, F-84F Thunderstreak
and the F-104G Starfighter until 1974. They became an F-104S
Starfighter unit under the 51º Stormo based at Istrana.
In September 1984, they stood-down to begin Tornado conversion
and was transferred to Ghedi on 1 January 1985, making 6º Stormo
a two-Gruppo Stormo. Trainning was completed during the year and
the Gruppo remained with its new parent unit until 1 December
1989, when 50º Stormo was re-activated at Piacenza - San Damiano.
Transfer of the aircraft to Piacenza did not begin until the
following spring, however.
Between September 1990 and March 1991, some aircraft and crews
were detached to Al Dhafra, United Arab Emirates, to take part in
the Gulf War (Missione Locusta). Their task was Supression of
Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) systems, with the Tornado IDS and the
AGM-88 HARM missile.
On 27 February they begun the conversion to the IT-ECR variant
of the Tornado.
In 1998, 155º Gruppo showed up at The Lechfeld Tiger Meet for
the weekend activities.
They were accepted as Probationary Member within the NATO
Tigers.
The Tornados ECR operated by the Italians have the prefix IT (IT-ECR)
to distinguish them from their German counterparts.
They are former IDS versions retrofitted with new electronic
equipment including the integration of the Emitter Location System
(ELS), Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR), Advanced Radar Warning
Equipment (ARWE) and the ability to carry the AGM-88 HARM missile.
IDS - Interdictor and Strike
ECR - Electronic Combat and Reconnaissance
Gruppo - Squadron
Stormo - Wing
Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI) - Italian Air Force
SEAD - Supression of Enemy Air Defense
HARM - High speed Anti-Radiation Missile
ELS - Emitter Location System
FLIR - Forward Looking Infra Red
ARWE - Advanced Radar Warning Equipment