Italian Tornado fighter jets escorted a Sudan Airways passenger jet out of Italian airspace

Newsday (AP) ^

[Sub-Driver]

PRATICA DI MARE AIR BASE, Italy -- Concerned about terrorist attacks, Italy deployed 15,000 security forces and mounted robust air and sea defenses to protect 20 world leaders attending Tuesday's NATO-Russia summit.

While no major incidents were reported, two Italian Tornado fighter jets escorted a Sudan Airways passenger jet out of Italian airspace after it failed to establish radio contact with air traffic controllers, an Italian military official said.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Italian Tornadoes...the Brits I worked with explained that the Italians insisted on thrust reversers on the Tornado. That way, they could back out of dogfights.

[spetznaz]

Actually the reverse thrusters have another purpose. They are used during takeoffs in a short take-off and landing (STOL) capability.

The Tornado ADV(air defense variant) was never intended as a dogfighter, but as an interceptor and missile platform. Put a Tornado versus an F-15 or a Sukhoi-30 and the tornado will be history faster than you can say whoa!

The only 'great' tornado is the G3 ground attack version, which is rated by some as the greatest attack jet in the globe (although i think there are some jets that equal, pehaps even surpass it, eg the F-15E and ground attack variants of the Su-27 and the upcomign Su-37 Terminator, especially once it gets its stealth suite).

Going back to the dogfight issue, what is crucial for a great dogfight jet is a good powerplant thrust to weight ratio, unstable aerodynamic form (requiring computers to 'right' the plane), and thrust vectoring (like the 2-D vectors of the F-22 or the 3-D of the Su-37). Reverse thrusters are best for STOL.

[hellinahandcart]

Rain and wind played havoc with the candles, arranged so their flames spelled out "No NATO, No Bush."

I hope they ended up with something silly, like "N o _ _ T_ _ _ u s h".

[wjcsux]

The only nation more cowardly than Italy is France. Ad in Defense News- "For Sale, French and Italian military rifles, great condition, only dropped once."

[HeadOn]

Um - as a fellow Tennesseean, Let me translate: IT WAS A JOKE!

[Tennessee_Bob]

Used in shortfield landings and hazardous (ice and wet) field landings.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Thanks, HeadOn - I kind of figured it was misinterpreted... :)

[Tennessee_Bob]

They are used during takeoffs in a short take-off and landing (STOL) capability.

Ok, I tried and tried to resist, but I have to ask. What source do you have for them using thrust reversers for short field take offs? A steerable nozzle, perhaps, but not thrust reversers. Reversers are used for landings...and backing out of dogfights...

[spetznaz]

The following is the exerpt that informed me the Tornado F3 has thrust reversers fitted in for STOL purposes. My source was the homepage of the Royal Airforce's 56(R) Squadron that utilizes the Tornado F3 for air defense, and its URL is as follows:

http://www.56firebirds.raf.mod.uk/aircraft.htm

The exerpt was as follows:

The Tornado F3 is a 2 crew, variable geometry (ie swing wing) aircraft and is powered by 2 Rolls Royce / Turbo Union RB199 Mk 104 afterburning turbofans, fitted with thrust reversers for STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) operations. Fuel is stored in integral tanks in the wings, fuselage and tail fin, as well as in underwing tanks.

Thus my posting that the reverse thrusters were for STOL. I did not know you meant the whole thing initially as a joke.

[Tennessee_Bob]

STOL is a general use acronym for Short Take Off/Landing. The thrust reversers on the Tornado are for Short Field Landing. They'd have no use in a takeoff situation, as all these reversers can do is direct thrust towards the front of the aircraft.

[tlrugit]

Italy is no newcomer to heavy security for international meetings, but its record isn't clean.
The first anti-globalization protester to be killed during a street demonstration was gunned down by police during last July's Group of Eight summit in Genoa after he rushed a Carabinieri jeep.

Sounds pretty clean to me. It would have been lamentable had the reverse been true.

[Britton J Wingfield]

He did more than simply rush the jeep. The jeep was pinned up against an embankment and surrounded. It's windows had been bashed in with planks and rocks. The former anarchist went up to the back window and raised a fire extinguisher over his head to throw it into the jeep, and the Italian cop (who was already dazed and bleeding) blew his brains out. When the jeep finally managed to back up, they ran over the corpse, since anarchists apparently don't pick up their own fallen comrades.

[ffusco]

Youre from tennessee, who cares what YOU think.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Youre from tennessee, who cares what YOU think.

LOL!

Thanks for the laugh! Apparently, you care, otherwise, you wouldn't have made that poor response!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

These are STOL nozzles. They have the capability of reversing thrust but they don't go into "reverse thrust" mode for take-off. Just an FYI. I worked on the first half dozen STOL nozzles built (not the kind on the Harrier) so am familiar with them. So Bob is correct, but the info was misleading from the source you posted (not your fault). They didn't really 'splain it good enough.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Gee, if he was from Tennessee also, there's a chance you guys might be related. Or at least that you slept with his sister. Or he did.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Well, I reckon it's a possibility - except I don't have a sister - unless you know something I don't know....

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I meant his sister...

[ffusco]

I care because my family is from Italy, now I'll let you get back to your banjo lesson, or feeling up your cousin, or sippin' shine or whitling. SEE, make stupid remarks about Italians and I'll make stupid remarks about where youre from.