The North American B-45 Tornado was a milestone in the history of military aviation of the United States that brought the Air Force into the jet-powered bomber era. Its roots go back to the latter stages of World War II, when American military planners—disturbed by the rapid pace at which Germany was gaining in jet propulsion, especially via the Arado Ar 234 Blitz—released in 1944 a request for a new turbojet bomber equal to or superior to anything the enemy could produce.
North American Aviation designed the NA-130, and three of them were already in production by September 1944. The purpose was clear: leap into the jet era, not just for prestige, but for the defense of the nation.
Translating paper to flight was not a simple matter. Postwar austerity slowed the pace, and the program was plagued by its fair share of engineering blips. The initial prototype flew on February 24, 1947, but early models were plagued with defective engines and recurring structural problems. It had four General Electric J47 turbojets, crews of four, and the ability to carry up to 22,000 pounds of munitions.
On paper, a marvel. In reality, issues continued to plague it—from gauge failures in the cockpit to engine fires, tempering its performance. Early lots wound up being used for training and testing instead of being deployed on the front lines.
That was over with the Korean War of 1950. The Air Force needed a jet bomber that could do conventional and nuclear missions, and the B-45—in a modified configuration—was called upon. Tornado crews conducted bombing and photo-recon missions, typically at night to avoid detection by fast MiG-15 interceptors.
The RB-45C reconnaissance variant was especially useful, replacing slower piston-engined RB-29s, which were easy pickings for enemy jets.
It wasn’t easy to add nuclear capability. The B-45 was not built for the early atomic bombs, and the original bomb bay was inadequate. Engineers had to reinforce the structure, add new defense equipment, and expand fuel capacity. Under the “Backbreaker” program, 40 B-45s were modified for tactical nuclear use. By 1952, they were stationed in the United Kingdom, providing NATO with a credible nuclear threat for Europe.
Its intelligence operations counted equally in strategy, if far less in headlines. Its bomb bay gutted and equipped with cameras, the RB-45C flew high-risk missions over Soviet territory. So sensitive were the flights that aircraft were repainted to carry RAF markings and flown by British crews under Operation Ju-jitsu to avoid overflight restrictions by the United States.
From Sculthorpe Base in Lincolnshire, Squadron Leader John Crampton led deep-penetration sorties, gathering critical intelligence while going undetected by radar and night fighters. These flights were not acknowledged as having occurred until they were declassified in 1994.
By the mid-1950s, the Tornado was on its way out. More streamlined, more rapid bombers like the B-47 Stratojet and B-58 Hustler took up the task. The relatively limited range, chronic engine issues, and vulnerability to new-fangled fighters of the B-45 resulted in its retirement from service in 1959. A few lingered as test aircraft into the early 1970s.
Three B-45s survive to the present day, kept in museums in California, Ohio, and Nebraska. Despite its brief service life, the Tornado left a lasting legacy. It was not just America’s first tactical jet bomber to be operational—it was a reflection of ingenuity under adversity, wartime adaptability, and relentless drive to keep ahead in the brutal quest for air supremacy.