Page 92 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

GRANBY TORNADO
‘PINKY’ A special Royal Air Force Tornado

GR4, painted in ‘desert pink’
colours as a tribute to Operation
Granby in 1991, has been retired
as the type enters its final
BOWS OUT
chapter in service, as
Rich Cooper reports.

I n 2016 the Royal Air Force’s Tornado provided a vital part of the coalition that helped Tornado GR4s as they make way for
to liberate Kuwait from Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi
GR Force (TGRF) painted one
Eurofighter Typhoons and F-35B Lightning
aircraft – ZG750 – in a ‘desert pink’ forces. The RAF Tornado GR1s were painted in IIs to spearhead UK combat air power.
scheme to mark 25 years of continuous ‘pink’ Alkali Removable Temporary Finish (ARTF) This summer, the time came for ZG750,
combat operations. It was a nod to the to reduce their visual signature in the desert dubbed ‘Pinky’ by many, to be retired. July’s
25th anniversary of the United Kingdom’s environment. Following this baptism of fire, Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF
participation in Operation Desert Storm, the RAF Tornado ‘GR’ fleet – now in upgraded Fairford, Gloucestershire, presented the ideal
codenamed Operation Granby by the British GR4 standard – has been engaged in combat opportunity to showcase this particular jet’s
armed forces. Granby marked the combat operations almost constantly ever since. history and pedigree, with ZG750 being one
debut of the then Panavia Tornado GR1s, which In April 2019 the RAF will retire its last of the stars of the show. As the Tornado

92 // SEPTEMBER 2017 #354 www.airforcesmonthly.com