Question about Tornado GR1

[Wet Lettuce]

Question about Tornado GR1.

Did the GR1 really carry a pair of Sidewinders and a pair of internal 27mm cannons?

Were the crews of a Tornado GR1 both ground attack trained and "fighter" pilots?

I would assume if they were carrying sidewinders they would at least know some basic air to air combat stuff.

Was a GR1 a "fighter/bomber" or to be more accurate given the armement "a bomber that could fight its way in and out"

I realise later Tornados became more specialised.

Thanks.

[Wrathmonk]

1. Yes.
2. Ground attack - yes. Fighter - basic self defence in order to survive to fight another day (although some pilots thought otherwise!).
3. No, I would never suggest the GR1 as "a bomber that could fight its way in and out". Thats more F15E than GR1 (and GR4 for that matter).

[Wet Lettuce]

Thank you, wikipedia is not wrong on the GR1.

;)

[spectre150]

Wrathmonk summed it up pretty well. My $0.02 - we used to conduct 'air combat trg' but this was more to give pilots experience of flying closer to the limits and boundaries than in normal mud-moving ops rather then tactics as such (other than some basic manoeuvres) - and we did get to fire an occasional Sidewinder at STCAAME from time to time.