The AI.24 (Foxhunter) airborne radar is carried by the Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant and gives this aircraft its all-weather, day and night, beyond-visual-range engagement capability. The radar was manufactured by GEC-Marconi subsidiaries with major parts from Ferranti. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Panavia Tornado. ... Marconi Electronic Systems (MES), or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company (GEC). ... Ferranti or Ferranti International plc by the time of its collapse, was a major UK electrical engineering and equipment firm, known primarily for defence electronics and power grid systems. ...

Despite initial problems, (the radar was several years late and 60 percent over budget) successive upgrades have constantly improved the RAF F3 force. The Tornado F3 with its Foxhunter radar is recognised as one of the most effective combat aircraft in service. While the aircraft is not a "true" air defence fighter in the mould of the F-15 and F-16, the RAF has developed tactics to exploit its long range engagement capabilities and to guard against its weaknesses. RAF is an three letter acronym for: Royal Air Force -- the Air Force of the United Kingdom (see also Air Ministry) Red Army Faction (Rote Armee Fraktion) -- a German terror organisation Rigas Autobusu Fabrika -- a factory making buses in Riga, Latvia Rapid Action Force in India Računarski Fakultet RAF... The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to permit the U.S. Air Force to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a modern multi-role jet fighter aircraft built in the United States and used by dozens of countries all over the world. ...

Much of the radar system and related operational software was developed at the Radar Research Laboratory of GEC-Marconi Elliott Avionic Systems Ltd. at the Elliott Automation plant in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England. Marconi Electronic Systems (MES), or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company (GEC). ... Elliott Brothers (London) Ltd was an early computer company of the 1950s–60s in the United Kingdom. ...

History

The radar was flight tested on a British Aerospace Buccaneer and first flew in a Tornado F2 in June 1981.^[1] British Aerospace (BAe) was a UK aircraft manufacturer, now part of BAE Systems. ... This article refers to the type of pirate. ...

In 1987 GEC argued that the contractural relationships were partly to blame – although GEC was responsible for most of the radar, Ferranti manufactured the transmitter and reported to the Ministry of Defence who acted as the prime contactor.^[2] A new contract was signed in March 1988 and described as "tight" (i.e. not lenient towards Marconi) by the Financial Times.

Currently, the UK's Tornado F3 fleet are running "stage 3 AI.24s" and rumour has it that there will be another upgrade to either 3Gstar of 4G before the F3 makes way for the Eurofighter Typhoon. The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine multi-role canard-delta strike fighter aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers through Eurofighter GmbH which was formed in 1986. ...

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