Developed by British Aerospace (BAe) in the early 1970s the Tornado is for many the most recognisable product of one of Lancashire's biggest employers. The company had evolved from well-known names from British aviation history such as Sopwith, Bristol, Vickers, Supermarine, English Electric, Hawker Sidley, De Havilland, Avro, and the British Aircraft Corporation. As part of a tri-national consortium with Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) from West Germany and Aeritalia from Italy, BAe formed the company Panavia Aircraft in 1969. It's aim was to produce an aircraft capable of undertaking missions in the tactical strike, reconnaissance, air defence, and maritime roles. The first test flights were carried out in 1974 and the first production aircraft ZA319 took off from BAe Warton in 1979.

This signed print of Alan Groves painting of flight ZH559 the last Tornado delivery to the RAF in 1993 was offered as the prize for an in-house BAe competition ran through their staff magazine 'Fastrack'. It was signed by over 40 dignitaries including Air Vice Marshal John Allison, who flew ZH559 on the day, John Weston Chairman and managing director of BAe Defence, and Dave Eagles who had piloted the first Tornado in 1979. It also features local names such as the Preston Guild Mayor, and the Mayors of South Ribble, the Ribble Valley, and Fylde.

The Tornado was retired from service in 1998 and has been superseded by the Eurofighter Typhoon. Also made by a European consortium, British interests are represented by BAE Systems which was formed in 1999 by the merger between Marconi Electronic Systems (MES) and British Aerospace (BAe). The new name combines the first two letters of BAe and the last two of MES to give BAE Systems.