BAE Hawk

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Hawk

BAE Hawk T.1 trainer of No. 208 Squadron RAF.
Type Military trainer aircraft
Manufacturers Hawker Siddeley
British Aerospace (1977-1999)
BAE Systems (1999 onwards)
Maiden flight 1974
Primary users Royal Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
Canadian Forces
Finnish Air Force
Unit cost £18 million (2003)
Variants T-45 Goshawk

The BAE Systems Hawk is a British advanced jet trainer which first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. It is used by the Royal Air Force, and other air forces, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft. The Hawk is still in production with over 900 Hawks sold to 18 customers around the world.

Contents

[edit] Design and development

In 1964 the Royal Air Force specified a requirement for a new initial jet trainer to replace the Folland Gnat. The SEPECAT Jaguar was originally intended for this role, but it was soon realised that it would be too complex an aircraft for initial jet training. Accordingly, in 1968 Hawker Siddeley began the design of a much simpler strictly subsonic trainer, the HS.1182. It was to have tandem seating and would be capable of carrying armaments, which would enable it to be used as a weapons trainer and in light combat roles.

A Royal Air Force Hawk T1A (XX205) at Kemble Airport, England, with its pilot.
A Royal Air Force Hawk T1A (XX205) at Kemble Airport, England, with its pilot.

Renamed "Hawk" in 1973, the aircraft first flew on 21st August 1974. It entered RAF service in April 1976, replacing the Gnat and Hawker Hunter in the advanced training and weapons training roles respectively. The following year Hawker Siddeley merged with other British aircraft companies to form the nationalised British Aerospace (BAe), which subsequently became BAE Systems upon merger with Marconi Electronic Systems in 1999.

The most famous RAF operator of the Hawk is the Red Arrows aerobatic team, which adopted the plane in 1979. The Finnish Air Force aerobatics team, the Midnight Hawks, also uses the aircraft.

The Hawk has excellent maneuverability, and while it is not capable of supersonic speed in level flight, it can attain Mach 1.2 in a dive, allowing trainees to experience trans-sonic handling without the cost of a supersonic trainer.

The Hawk subsequently replaced the English Electric Canberra in the target towing role.

The Royal Navy acquired a dozen Hawk T.Mk 1/1As from the RAF, for use as aerial targets for the training of ships gunners and radar operators.

[edit] Operational history

[edit] United Kingdom

Hawk T.1A of the RAF, marking the 85th anniversary of No.4 Flight Training School
Hawk T.1A of the RAF, marking the 85th anniversary of No.4 Flight Training School

The T.1 ("Trainer Mark 1") was the original version of the Hawk used by the RAF, deliveries commencing in November 1976. The UK ordered 176 T1s.

From 1983 to 1986, some Hawks were equipped as the short-range interceptor aircraft for point defence. 88 T.1s were modified to carry two AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles in addition to the centerline gun pod carrying a single 30 mm ADEN cannon. These aircraft were designated T.1A. In the event of war, they would have worked in collaboration with Tornado F.3 aircraft, which would use their Foxhunter search radars to vector the radar-less Hawks against enemy targets. Such missions would have been flown by instructor pilots. Conversions were completed in 1986. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, RAF Hawks are no longer tasked with this role.

Eighty Hawk TMk1/1A aircraft have been upgraded under the Fuselage Replacement Programme (FRP), which involves the replacement of the aft centre and rear fuselage sections, using new build sections derived from the Mk. 60.

[edit] Finland

The Finnish Air Force purchased fifty Hawk Mk.51s in 1980.

As a legacy of the WWII peace treaty conditions, Finnish Air Force was not allowed to possess more than sixty first-line fighter aircraft; by acquiring Hawks which did not count as such, but as trainers, FAF could effectively improve it's operational capacity without breaking the aforementioned conditions which were still in effect.[citation needed]

Seven additional Mk.51As were delivered in 1993-94 to make up for losses. In June 2007, Finland purchased 18 Hawk Mk.66s from the Swiss Air Force for 41 million euros to expand the lifespan of the Hawk fleet up until 2017-2019. They are to be delivered in 2009-2010.[1] Finnish Hawks were sometimes seen armed with Russian Molniya R-60/AA-8.[2][3]

[edit] Variants

[edit] Hawk T.1/T.1A

The T.1 ("Trainer Mark 1") was the original version of the Hawk used by the RAF, deliveries commencing in November 1976. The UK ordered 176 T1s.

[edit] Hawk 50

Finnish Air Force Hawk 51 in Rissala AB
Finnish Air Force Hawk 51 in Rissala AB

The Hawk 50 was the original export trainer version, and offered a limited attack capability. Finland, Indonesia and Kenya ordered 89 of this variant.

  • Hawk 51 - Export version for the Finnish Air Force.
  • Hawk 51A - Seven Hawks were sold to Finland as part of a follow-on order.
  • Hawk 52 - Export version for the Kenyan Air Force.
  • Hawk 53 - Export version for the Indonesian Air Force.

[edit] Hawk 60

Another export version, replacing the Hawk 50, intended for conversion and weapons training. Weapons carriage is increased. It is a two-seater, has uprated Rolls-Royce Adour 861 engines, and is capable of a level speed at altitude of 555 knots (1028 km/h) or Mach 0.84. The T-45 Goshawk was derived from this version.[4][5]

  • Hawk 60 - Export version for the Air Force of Zimbabwe. Eight Hawks were sold to Zimbabwe, they were delivered between July and October of 1982.
  • Hawk 60A -Five Hawks were sold to Zimbabwe as part of a follow-on order. The aircraft were delivered between June and September of 1992.
  • Hawk 61 - Export version for Dubai, United Arab Emirates Air Force
  • Hawk 63 - Export version for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Air Force.
  • Hawk 63A - 15 Hawk 63s were upgraded to this standard.
  • Hawk 63C - Four aircraft were sold to Adu Dhabi as part of a follow-on order.
  • Hawk 64 - Export version for the Kuwait Air Force.
  • Hawk 65 - Export version for the Royal Saudi Air Force.
  • Hawk 65A - 20 were sold to Saudi Arabia as part of a follow-on order.
  • Hawk 66 - Export version for the Swiss Air Force.
  • Hawk 67 - Export version for the South Korean Air Force.

[edit] Hawk 100

BAE Systems Hawk 120D at RIAT 2005
BAE Systems Hawk 120D at RIAT 2005
South African Air Force Hawk Mk.120
South African Air Force Hawk Mk.120
Hawk 127 of No. 76 Squadron RAAF in special "cougar" colour scheme.
Hawk 127 of No. 76 Squadron RAAF in special "cougar" colour scheme.

A two-seat advanced weapons trainer with additional avionics, including forward looking infrared (optional, fitted to Malaysian aircraft), a redesigned wing and HOTAS.

  • Hawk 102 - Export version for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Air Force.
  • Hawk 103 - Export version for the Royal Air Force Of Oman.
  • Hawk 108 - Export version for the Royal Malaysian Air Force. (10)
  • Hawk 109 - Export version for the Indonesian Air Force. (8)
  • Hawk 115 - Export version for the Canadian Forces, designated 'CT-155 Hawk' in Canadian service.
  • Hawk 129 - Export version for Bahrain. (6)

[edit] Hawk 120/LIFT

The Hawk Lead In Fighter Trainer (LIFT) is the version selected by the South African Air Force in December 1999. This variant is powered by the Adour 951. The LIFT benefits from development carried out for the Australian Mk.127. The next generation Hawks (120, 127 and 128) feature a new wing, forward and centre fuselage, fin and tailplane. The aircraft have only 10% commonality with the existing first generation aircraft. The new variants also have four times the fatigue life of the original aircraft. 24 aircraft will be delivered.

[edit] Hawk 127

Thirty three Hawk 127 Lead in Fighters (LIFs) were ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force in June 1997, twelve of which were produced in the UK and twenty one in Australia. This variant is also powered by the Adour 871. The Hawk 127 is operated by No. 76 (New South Wales) and No. 79 (Western Australia) Squadrons of the RAAF.

[edit] Hawk 128

The Hawk 128 is the new Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) for the RAF and Royal Navy. The Mk.128 includes modern LCD displays instead of conventional instrumentation, and allows preparation for flying modern fighter aircraft, particularly the all "glass" Typhoon. It has Rolls-Royce Adour 951 engines. The UK Ministry of Defence awarded a Design and Development Contract to BAE Systems on 22 Dec 2004,[6] building on the design of the Australian Mk.127 and the South African Mk.120s. A £450 million contract was signed in October 2006 for the production of 28 Hawk 128s.[7] The MoD had originally announced its intention to order 20 aircraft with options for 24 more. The aircraft's maiden flight occurred on 27 July 2005 from BAE Systems' Warton airfield and lasted for 1 hour 18 minutes.[8]

[edit] Hawk 129

The Hawk 129 is a variant for the Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF). Six aircraft were ordered in 2002 for delivery in 2006.

[edit] Hawk 132

The Hawk 132 is the latest export variant of the Hawk and was previously known as the Mk.115Y. The Mk.132 formally entered service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 23 February 2008 [9] after one of the most protracted procurement processes in history, with two decades having elapsed between the initial interest and the contract signing on March 26, 2004. The IAF will receive 24 aircraft directly from BAE Systems, with deliveries beginning in November 2007, and the remaining 42 to be assembled by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited between 2008 and 2011.[10] In February 2008, India was planning to order 57 more Hawks, with 40 going to the Indian Air Force and the remaining 17 to the Indian Navy.[11][12]

[edit] Hawk 200

The Hawk 200 is a single seat, lightweight multirole combat fighter with emphasis on air defence, air superiority, anti-shipping, air-denial, long range interdiction, short range close air support and ground attack. The aircraft is fitted with the AN/APG-66H, an advanced version of the F-16A APG-66 radar with multimode systems. The aircraft is able to be equipped with the AIM-9 Sidewinder and AGM-65 Maverick. The Malaysian aircraft has the most extensive modification to the aircraft with illumination "slime" lights, wingtip AAMs and inflight refuelling. Its aircraft have been involved in major long-range deployments to areas such as Sabah and the Spratly Islands. Indonesia, Malaysia and Oman have ordered 62 aircraft.

  • Hawk 203 - Export version for the Royal Air Force Of Oman.
  • Hawk 205 - Proposed export version for the Royal Saudi Air Force.
  • Hawk 208 - Export version for the Royal Malaysian Air Force. (18)
  • Hawk 209 - Export version for the Indonesian Air Force. (32)

[edit] T-45 Goshawk

Main article: T-45 Goshawk

The T-45 Goshawk is a fully carrier-capable aircraft developed from the Hawk 60 for the United States Navy for use in carrier training.[4]

[edit] Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer 2

Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer 2 (AJT 2) is a concept for an advanced jet trainer for current and future customers.

[edit] Operators

[edit] Current operators

Flag of Australia Australia
Flag of Bahrain Bahrain
BAe CT155 Hawk serial number 155217 in Canadian service undergoes maintenance at CFB Moose Jaw, 3 November 2005
BAe CT155 Hawk serial number 155217 in Canadian service undergoes maintenance at CFB Moose Jaw, 3 November 2005
Flag of Canada Canada
Flag of Finland Finland
  • Finnish Air Force
    • Fighter Squadron 41 (HävLLv 41) at Kauhava
    • Finnish Air Force Display Team Midnight Hawks
    • 50 Hawk Mk.51s were purchased in 1980, 7 additional Mk.51As were delivered in 1993-94 to make up for losses. 18 Mk.66s are to be delivered in 2009 to expand the lifespan of the Hawk fleet up until 2017-2019.[13] Finnish Hawks were sometimes seen armed with Russian Molniya R-60/AA-8.[14]
Flag of India India
  • Indian Air Force
  • Indian Navy - Reports surfaced in early 2008 that the Indian government has approved a follow-on order of 57 more BAE Systems Hawk Mk132s, with 17 going to the Indian Navy and the remaining 40 slated for the Indian Air Force.[10]
Flag of Indonesia Indonesia
Flag of Kenya Kenya
Flag of Kuwait Kuwait
Flag of Malaysia Malaysia
Flag of Oman Oman
Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
Flag of South Africa South Africa
Flag of South Korea South Korea
A Hawk T1 of the RAF's Red Arrows
A Hawk T1 of the RAF's Red Arrows
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Flag of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
Flag of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe

[edit] Former operators

Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
  • Swiss Air Force: 20 Hawk Mk.66s were bought in 1992 but were sold to Finland June 2007.

[edit] Specifications (Hawk 128)

BAE Hawk 128.

Data from Royal Air Force,[15] BAE Systems,[16] and Air Vectors[17]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2: student, instructor
  • Length: 12.43 m (40 ft 9 in)
  • Wingspan: 9.94 m (32 ft 7 in)
  • Height: 3.98 m (13 ft 1 in)
  • Wing area: 16.70 m² (179.64 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 4,480 kg (9,880 lb)
  • Useful load: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 9,100 kg (20,000 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Adour Mk.951 turbofan with FADEC, 29 kN (6,500 lbf)

Performance

Armament

Note: all armament is optional.
  • 1× 30 mm ADEN cannon, in centreline pod
  • Up to 6,800 lb (3,085 kg) of weapons on five hardpoints, including:
  • 1,500 lb (680 kg), limited to one centreline and two wing pylons (Hawk T.1)

[edit] See also

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

[edit] References

  1. ^ Finland Purchases 18 Jet Trainers (Mk.66) from Switzerland
  2. ^ Missile armed Hawk BAe Hawk with R-60
  3. ^ "Suomi hankkii lisää Hawk-hävittäjiä". Finnish Broadcasting Agency (YLE), 2007-06-28. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. (Finnish)
  4. ^ a b Donald, David: Warplanes of the Fleet, page 175. AIRtime Publishing Inc, 2004. ISBN 1-880588-81-1
  5. ^ Frawley, Gerard: The International Directory of Military Aircraft, page 48. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2002. ISBN 1-875671-55-2
  6. ^ "Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer", Hansard Column 333W, 2005-01-26. 
  7. ^ "BAE lands £450m Hawks contract", Blackpool Today, 2006-10-20. Retrieved on 2006-10-20. 
  8. ^ 'Hawk Mk 128 Makes Maiden Flight' Air Forces Monthly September 2005 p.6 Retrieved on 2008-05-31
  9. ^ Kulkarni, Sagar (February 2008). AJT Hawk inducted into IAF. Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  10. ^ a b Sharma, Ravi (January 2008). The IAF is set to get 40 more Hawk AJTs. Retrieved on 2008-01-12.
  11. ^ Govindasamy, Siva. "India seeks extra Hawks", Flight International, February 11, 2008.
  12. ^ Luthra, Gulshan and Goel, Ashok. "IAF to buy 40 more Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers, Navy to follow with 17", India Strategic, February 2008.
  13. ^ Finland Purchases 18 Jet Trainers (Mk.66) from Switzerland
  14. ^ Missile armed Hawk BAe Hawk with R-60
  15. ^ Royal Air Force (2005-04-29). Hawk 128. Aircraft of the RAF. Retrieved on 2006-04-12.
  16. ^ BAE Systems. Hawk. BAE Systems - Air Systems. Retrieved on 2006-04-12.
  17. ^ Goebel, Greg (2006-03-01). The BAE Hawk. Air Vectors. Retrieved on 2006-04-12.

[edit] External links

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