The BAE Systems (BAE) Hawk is an 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.
History
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 1968Hawker 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.
Renamed "Hawk" in 1973, the aircraft first flew in 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 manoeuvrability, 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 transsonic handling without the cost of a supersonic trainer.
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.
Variants
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.
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 Sidewinderair-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 radarless 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.
80 T.1s are being 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.
Hawk 50
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 53 - Export version for the Indonesian Air Force.
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-RoyceAdour 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. [1][2]
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.
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)
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.
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.
Hawk 128
The Hawk 128 is the new Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) for the RAF and Royal Navy. The Mk.128 includes modern CRT 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. BAE funded development of the 128, 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. [3] The MoD had originally announced its intention to order 20 aircraft with options for 24 more.
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.
Hawk 132
The latest export variant of the Hawk (previously described as the Mk.115Y). The Mk.132 is destined to enter service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) 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 starting in 2007 and another 42 will be assembled by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited during 2008-10. The Indian Navy is also likely to order a small number. Further orders will be a function of how quickly India is able to develop the Combat Air Trainer, a twin-engined trainer derived from the HAL HJT-36 Sitara, whose model was displayed at the Aero India 2005 air show in February 2005. The first aircraft has been flight tested and the remaining four will be delivered by the year end to the IAF.
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, strike with smart weapons and a lead-in trainer for aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, F-15, F-16, Tornado, and Gripen to name a few. 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.
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.[4] Finnish Hawks are sometimes seen armed with Russian Molniya R-60/AA-8.[5]
Swiss Air Force: 20 Hawk Mk.66s were bought in 1992 but were quite sparsely used. They were withdrawn from use in 2002 and stored. In June 2007 18 of them were sold to Finland for 41 million euros and they are to be delivered in 2009-2010.[6]
