Tornado IDS on display at Vigna di Valle

After more than eighteen months of construction work, in which the exhibition itinerary has been completely renovated, the splendid Italian Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militare on the shore of Lake Bracciano at Vigna di Valle near Rome, has re-opened its doors on 5 May 2023.

A new exhibition on permanent display is the Panavia Tornado IDS MLU MM7071 (c/n 550/IS070/5082) restored and in the desert livery, that he received during the 1991 Gulf War for Operazione Locusta.

Operazione Locusta was the Italian code name given to the contribution of the Aeronautica Militare (ItAF, Italian Air Force) as part of operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War.

Following the invasion and annexation of Kuwait by Iraq, the Italian Government sent eight (plus two spare) Tornado IDS fighter bombers, which were deployed at the Al Dhafra Air Base, near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

During Operazione Locasta, the Italian Air Force flew 1.108 missions lasting 2.129 hours at all with 226 war sorties with 589 hours, dropping 565 bombs.

This particular Tornado actually served from October 1990 till March 1991 in the Gulf region. After its operational life, it was stored at Ghedi (BS) air base. It was already presented in its desert livery with only number 71 (last two digits of its Matricola Militare MM7071) on the nose wheel door, at the Aeronautica Militare 100th Anniversary static display at the Piazza del Popolo in Rome in March 2023.

Photo credit: Aeronautica Militare