Hobby Master Archive

The two-seat Tornado entered service with the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) in the early 1980s. In the Aeronautica Militare structure the group is called 154° Gruppo CBOC/CRO (154th All-weather Fighter-Bomber/All-weather Reconnaissance Fighter Squadron). The first frontline squadron to be equipped with the Tornado was the 154° Gruppo, at Ghedi, under the 6° Stormo “Diavoli Rossi” (‘Red Devils’). The 154° Gruppo reached full strength in 1984 when they had received all 18 aircraft and after extreme training the 154° achieved full combat readiness by October 1985.