Old Duffer et al - ref GW1
11 August 1990: First British aircraft arrive in Saudi Arabia. No 5 (Composite) Squadron arrives at Dhahran from Akrotiri, Cyprus, led by Wg Cdr Euan Black and comprising six Tornado F3s of No 5 Squadron and six of No 29. A further ten Tornados left on Cyprus, where units had been based for armament practice. No 6 (Composite) Squadron led by Wg Cdr Jerry Connolly, with 12 Jaguar GR1As, including four in reconnaissance configuration, leaves Coltishall for Thumrait, Oman, arriving on 12 August. Aircraft have been painted in Pink Panther desert camouflage scheme. No 20 Squadron, RAF Regiment, leaves for Cyprus with Rapier air defence missiles. Later transfers to Bahrain.
I know, I was on the Armament Practise Camp on 2 Aug 90 when Saddam invaded Kuwait - his intended next stop was parts of Saudi. The US aircraft, UK F3s/Jags and what was left of the Saudi Air Force (a lot had gone home to protect their families from the real threat of invasion) detered Saddam long enough for Desert Shield to grow in size prior to Desert Storm.
The BAE constructed F3 was in a pitiful state at this point in Aug 90 (quelle surprise!). No chaff/flares or Self Protection Jammer, the long awaited boost-sustain Skyflash was still not ready and the RADAR would be lucky to get a lock to support the boost-only Skyflash to target (until it was modified later). The guys that flew the aircraft in those tense early weeks from Saudi knew this, but they put themselves up there against the as yet unbroken Iraqi Air Force - for this they deserve the GW1 gong with rosette alone! In fact, at that point, the F3 was the Boulton-Paul Defiant equivalent of the jet age!
The F3 was the first British jet in place for Desert Shield in 1990 and went on to fly Desert Storm in 1991. It was modified quickly for 1991 but by then it had been relegated to "back-stop" CAP as it did not have a Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) and the risk of loss to SAMs over Iraq was far too great. It did not get a working SPJ until 5 years later for use in the Balkans; yet another great bit of procurement with a working system delivered nearly 10 years after In Service Date in 1986...
Anyway, I hope that educates everyone in the year that the F3 went out of Service after 25 years.
LJ