Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment

Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment
Coat of arms of TTTE
Active	29 January 1981 - 31 March 1999
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Training
Role	Tornado training (exclusive)
Garrison/HQ	RAF Cottesmore
Nickname(s)	Triple T E
Motto(s)	E Tribus Tornado
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Panavia Tornado

The Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment (TTTE) was a multinational air unit based at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland, England, from 1981 to 1999. It performed training on the Panavia Tornado for the Royal Air Force, Luftwaffe and Italian Air Force. Initially, pilots received four weeks of training on the ground, followed by nine weeks in the air.

The Tornado was first shown to the British public on 14 April 1978 at RAF Boscombe Down. The RAF planned to buy 220 of them, and 165 of the ADV variant. 809 for all three countries had been ordered, with 212 for the German Air Force, 112 for the German Navy and 100 for the Italian Air Force. Cost at that time was £7.8m for the GR1 and £9.4m for the ADV. As a historical comparison, a Tornado could carry twice the bomb load of an Avro Lancaster. The plane was chosen above contemporary American aircraft at that time because the F-16 lacked all-weather capability, the F-15 had inferior radar and electronic countermeasures and the F-14 was too expensive. The Tornado was the first RAF plane with Terrain Following Radar (TFR). The German Navy was the first to get the planes. When the TTTE was established, the RAF was concerned it may not have enough trained pilots to fly the planes, due to poor recruitment and perceived low pay.

The memorandum of understanding establishing the unit was signed in 1979 by the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy and the unit came into existence on 29 January 1981 with Sir Michael Beetham in attendance. The first RAF Tornados arrived at the base on 1 July 1980; Luftwaffe Tornados arrived on 2 September 1980; and Italian Tornados arrived much later on 5 April 1982.