Tornado jets it sent to Syria for spying missions can't fly at night

UK Daily Mail ^ | 01/19/2016 | SIMON TOMLINSON

[DFG]

German Tornado jets deployed to Syria for spying missions can't fly at night because the cockpit lights blind the pilots, it was reported today. It is a fresh embarrassment for the German defence ministry which has been battling equipment problems. The six aircraft sent to Syria are fitted with surveillance technology and had been touted as being capable of taking high-resolution photos and infrared images, even at night and in bad weather.

[the scotsman]

Some people need reminding of the Stealth bomber paint FU.

[editor-surveyor]

Led illumination often can’t be dimmed very well

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “ Think how submariners feel.” <<

Like when they crash into a seamount?

[Oztrich Boy]

I guess it's better to find this out now rather than in a hotter war.

Well I'm surprised the issue has never arisen in the last 35 years of service.

Was night flying not on the Luftwaffe agenda?

[sukhoi-30mki]

It’s jointly built by the UK, Italy and Germany.

[Red Badger]

Oh, so it like an AIRBUS.............

[Ozark Tom]

And they never flew at night before now???

[Ozark Tom]

The blue LED thing again???

[Ozark Tom]

Picking up IR in the night-gear from the panel lamps?

[tanknetter]

Thats a possibility. Although I think most aviation NVGs are light amplification, not IR? But the concept is the same, the instruments emit on a wavelength that overwhelms the NVGs.