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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

UK retires last Tornado F3 fighters


The UK Royal Air Force will stand down its last Panavia Tornado F3-equipped unit on 22 March, with the type having completed a service life spanning 25 years.

Operations with the supersonic interceptor will come to an end with the disbandment of 111 Sqn, which has flown F3s from RAF Leuchars in Scotland since 1990 and been the sole UK unit to operate the type since July 2009.

The F3's last frontline act, performed on 14 March, was to stand a final period of readiness to fly quick reaction alert (QRA) sorties to defend the northern UK. This task is now the full-time responsibility of 6 Sqn, which has flown Eurofighter Typhoons from Leuchars since last September.

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