BAE Hawk
Encyclopedia
The BAE Systems
Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer
aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk 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.
specified a requirement (Air Staff Target (AST) 362) for a new fast 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 fast jet training, and only a small number of two-seat versions were purchased. Accordingly, in 1968, Hawker Siddeley Aviation (HSA) began studies for a simpler aircraft, initially as special project (SP) 117. The design team was led by Ralph Hooper
. This project was funded by the company as a private venture, in anticipation of possible RAF interest. The design was conceived of as having tandem seating and a combat capability in addition to training, as it was felt the latter would improve export sales potential. Through 1969 the project was first renamed P.1182, then HS.1182. By the end of the year HSA had submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defence
based on the design concept, and in early 1970 the RAF issued Air Staff Target (AST) 397 which formalised the requirement for new trainers of this type. The RAF selected the HS.1182 for their requirement on 1 October 1971 and the principal contract, for 175 aircraft, was signed in March 1972.
Renamed "Hawk" following an employee naming competition (the name "Tercel", a male hawk
, was the actual winning name, but the RAF preferred the more common and simpler name), the aircraft first flew on 21 August 1974.
At the time, its main competitor was the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet; both types were intended to be exported and John W. R. Taylor
commented on the situation: "What Europe must avoid is the kind of wasteful competition that has the Hawker Siddeley Hawk and Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet battling against each other in the world market."
In 1977 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 low-positioned one-piece wing was designed to allow a wide landing gear track and to enable easier maintenance access. The wing is fitted with wide-span, double-slotted, trailing-edge flaps for low-speed performance. Integral to the wing is 836 litre (184 imp gal) fuel tank and room for the retractable main landing gear legs. Designed to take a +8/-4 g
load, the original requirement was for two stores hardpoints but it was designed to fit four hardpoints by Hawker Siddeley.
The fuselage design was led by the need to get a height differential between the two tandem cockpits; this enabled increased visibility for the instructor in the rear seat. Each cockpit is fitted with a Martin-Baker
Mk 10B zero-zero rocket-assisted ejection seat. The centre fuselage has an 823-litre (181 imp gal) flexible fuel tank. The two-shaft turbofan Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour
engine is fitted in the rear-fuselage with inlets on each side above the forward wing root
s. A ram air turbine
is fitted just in front of the single fin as well as a gas turbine
auxiliary power unit
above the engine. The forward retracting landing gear leg is fitted in the nose.
0.88 in level flight and Mach
1.15 in a dive, thus allowing trainees to experience transonic
flight before advancing to a supersonic
trainer. Its airframe is very durable and strong, stressed for +9 g
but the normal limit in RAF service is +7.5/-4 g.
) and two under-wing pylons. Most Hawks use the two hardpoints but the aircraft is designed to carry four. The RAF has used the under-wing pylons to carry Sidewinder
air-to-air missile
s.
The Hawk entered RAF service in April 1976, replacing the Folland Gnat
and Hawker Hunter
for advanced training and weapons training. The Hawk T1 ("Trainer Mark 1") was the original version used by the RAF
, deliveries commencing in November 1976, with 176 being ordered.
From 1983 to 1986, some Hawks were equipped as short-range interceptor aircraft
. 88 T1s were modified to carry two AIM-9L Sidewinder
air-to-air missiles (AAMs) in addition to the centreline gun pod
carrying a 30 mm ADEN cannon
. These aircraft were named Hawk T1A. In a war, they would have worked in collaboration with Tornado F3
aircraft, which would use their Foxhunter search radar
s to vector the radarless Hawks against enemy targets. Such missions would have been flown by instructors. Conversions were completed in 1986. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War
, RAF Hawks stopped this. Hawks were used also as "aggressors", simulating air combat with Tornado ADV
s.
The most famous RAF operator of the Hawk is the Red Arrows
aerobatic team, which adopted the plane in 1979.
The Hawk subsequently replaced the English Electric Canberra
for target towing
.
The Royal Navy
acquired a dozen Hawk T1/1As from the RAF, for use as aerial targets for the training of ships' gunners and radar operators.
Eighty Hawk T1/1A aircraft have been upgraded under the Fuselage Replacement Programme (FRP), which involves the replacement of the aft, centre and rear fuselage sections, using new sections derived from the Mk. 60.
In 2009, the RAF began receiving the first Hawk T2 aircraft, which will replace the T1 advanced trainers.
As a precautionary measure the T1 fleet was grounded in August 2011, following a crash which killed a Red Arrows
pilot, but was returned to flight status a few days later.
purchased fifty Hawk Mk. 51s in 1980. The aircraft were built in Finland under licence by Valtion lentokonetehdas
.
As a legacy of the WWII peace treaty, the Finnish Air Force
was not allowed to possess more than 60 first-line fighter aircraft. By acquiring Hawks, which did not count as such but as trainers, the FAF could improve its operational capacity while complying with the treaty. These conditions were nullified at the break-up of the Soviet Union
.
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. Finnish Hawks were sometimes seen armed with Russian Molniya R-60
/AA-8. The Finnish Mk. 51s have recently been upgraded with new software and the Patria
Cockpit 2000 glass-cockpit kit. The Mk. 66s are to be upgraded similarly.
The Finnish Air Force aerobatics team, the Midnight Hawks
, also uses the aircraft.
received 38 Hawks in the 1980s and 1990s, including 32 Hawk 200, single-seat, combat aircraft. Allegations of their use against Timorese, pro-independence groups during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor
created controversy in the United Kingdom. In January 1996, four protesters broke into a BAe factory and caused £1.5 million worth of damage to an Indonesia-bound aircraft. The four were tried and acquitted; the jury accepted their argument they had used "reasonable force to prevent a crime".
was equipped with 12 BAE Hawk T.Mk. 60/60As, acquired in 1980 and 1992 and employed in the strike fighter
role. These were equipped with AIM-9B Sidewinder AAMs, Mk. 82-series bomb
s, and Hunting BL.755
cluster-bomber units (CBUs), as well as launchers for unguided rockets. The Hawks supported the Congolese Army against Rwandan, Ugandan and rebel forces in 1998.
in the RAF's Tactical Weapons Units. A total of 89 aircraft were converted to carry two underwing AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and a centreline gun pod. During the 1980s, the RAF began using TWU Hawks in the Mixed Fighter Force (MFF) concept; the intention was to attach three of four Hawks to a Phantom
or Tornado
interceptor, which would guide them using its powerful radar onto enemy targets.
This is also the variant used by the RAF's Red Arrows
display team; the underbody gun pod is used to carry oil for the display smoke system.
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.
, including forward looking infrared
(optional, fitted to Malaysian aircraft), a redesigned wing and HOTAS
.
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.
ordered 33 Hawk 127 Lead-in Fighters (LIFs) in June 1997, 12 of which were produced in the UK and 21 in Australia. This variant is also powered by the Adour 871. The Hawk 127 is operated by the RAAF's No. 76 Squadron
and No. 79 Squadron
which are based at RAAF Base Williamtown
and RAAF Base Pearce
respectively.
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 uses the Rolls-Royce
Adour 951 engine. The UK Ministry of Defence awarded a Design and Development Contract to BAE Systems on 22 Dec 2004, 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. 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 Aerodrome
and lasted for 1 hour 18 minutes.
The Hawk Mk. 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 after one of the most protracted procurement processes in India's history, with two decades having elapsed between the initial interest and the contract signing on 26 March 2004. The IAF was to 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. BAE Systems has delivered the 24th and final UK built Indian Hawk in November 2009. HAL handed over the first locally built Hawk 132 to the IAF on 14 August 2008. These aircraft will be powered by Rolls Royce Mk 871 turbo fan engine.
In February 2008, India planned to order 57 more Hawks, with 40 going to the Indian Air Force and the remaining 17 to the Indian Navy
. For a time it looked as if the order had been shelved. There were reports that the IAF was unhappy with the spares supply situation. However in July 2010 it was announced that the IAF and the Navy would receive the additional 57 aircraft.
The deal was finally signed on 29 July 2010 during PM David Cameron's visit to India.The aircraft, 40 of which will go to the Indian air force and the other 17 to the country's navy, will be built in India by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), under licence from BAE. On 10 February 2011, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and GE Aviation signed a contract that makes GE Aviation responsible for 30 years of maintenance.
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. Brunei
have been interested in acquiring this model (and the Hawk 100), but any prospective order has been continually delayed since the mid-1980s.
-capable aircraft developed from the Hawk 60 for the United States Navy
for use in aircraft carrier training.
Australia
Bahrain
Canada
Finland
India
Indonesia
Kenya
Kuwait
Malaysia
Oman
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
South Korea
United Kingdom
Past Units.
United Arab Emirates
Zimbabwe
Switzerland
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer
Jet trainer
A Jet trainer is typically a turbofan or turbojet powered training aircraft, intended either for general aviation flying training or for more advanced jet aircraft. Jet trainers are typically divided into civilian and military, and custom designs versus versions of existing aircraft...
aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is used by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, 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.
Development
In 1964 the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
specified a requirement (Air Staff Target (AST) 362) for a new fast jet trainer to replace the Folland Gnat
Folland Gnat
The Folland Gnat was a small, swept-wing British subsonic jet trainer and light fighter aircraft developed by Folland Aircraft for the Royal Air Force, and flown extensively by the Indian Air Force....
. The SEPECAT Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
was originally intended for this role, but it was soon realised that it would be too complex an aircraft for fast jet training, and only a small number of two-seat versions were purchased. Accordingly, in 1968, Hawker Siddeley Aviation (HSA) began studies for a simpler aircraft, initially as special project (SP) 117. The design team was led by Ralph Hooper
Ralph Hooper
Ralph Spenser Hooper OBE FREng FRAeS is an English aeronautical engineer, recognised mostly for his work on the Harrier, specifically in relation the marriage between the Pegasus engine and the layout of the aircraft, allowing it to safely hover with margins of stability.-Career:He is sometimes...
. This project was funded by the company as a private venture, in anticipation of possible RAF interest. The design was conceived of as having tandem seating and a combat capability in addition to training, as it was felt the latter would improve export sales potential. Through 1969 the project was first renamed P.1182, then HS.1182. By the end of the year HSA had submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
based on the design concept, and in early 1970 the RAF issued Air Staff Target (AST) 397 which formalised the requirement for new trainers of this type. The RAF selected the HS.1182 for their requirement on 1 October 1971 and the principal contract, for 175 aircraft, was signed in March 1972.
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
, was the actual winning name, but the RAF preferred the more common and simpler name), the aircraft first flew on 21 August 1974.
At the time, its main competitor was the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet; both types were intended to be exported and John W. R. Taylor
John W. R. Taylor
John William Ransom Taylor was a British aviation expert and editor. He edited Jane's All the World's Aircraft for three decades during the Cold War...
commented on the situation: "What Europe must avoid is the kind of wasteful competition that has the Hawker Siddeley Hawk and Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet battling against each other in the world market."
In 1977 Hawker Siddeley merged with other British aircraft companies to form the nationalised British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
(BAe), which subsequently became BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
upon merger with Marconi Electronic Systems
Marconi Electronic Systems
Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...
in 1999.
Design
The Hawk is a tandem two-seat aircraft and has a low-mounted cantilever monoplane wing and is powered by a non-augmented turbofan engineJet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
. The low-positioned one-piece wing was designed to allow a wide landing gear track and to enable easier maintenance access. The wing is fitted with wide-span, double-slotted, trailing-edge flaps for low-speed performance. Integral to the wing is 836 litre (184 imp gal) fuel tank and room for the retractable main landing gear legs. Designed to take a +8/-4 g
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
load, the original requirement was for two stores hardpoints but it was designed to fit four hardpoints by Hawker Siddeley.
The fuselage design was led by the need to get a height differential between the two tandem cockpits; this enabled increased visibility for the instructor in the rear seat. Each cockpit is fitted with a Martin-Baker
Martin-Baker
Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd. is a manufacturer of ejection seats and safety related equipment for aviation. The company origins were as an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection seats...
Mk 10B zero-zero rocket-assisted ejection seat. The centre fuselage has an 823-litre (181 imp gal) flexible fuel tank. The two-shaft turbofan Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour
|-See also:- External links :* * *...
engine is fitted in the rear-fuselage with inlets on each side above the forward wing root
Wing root
The wing root is the part of the wing on a fixed-wing aircraft that is closest to the fuselage. On a simple monoplane configuration, this is usually easy to identify...
s. A ram air turbine
Ram air turbine
A ram air turbine is a small turbine that is connected to a hydraulic pump, or electrical generator, installed in an aircraft and used as a power source...
is fitted just in front of the single fin as well as a gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
auxiliary power unit
Auxiliary power unit
An auxiliary power unit is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft, as well as some large land vehicles.-Function:...
above the engine. The forward retracting landing gear leg is fitted in the nose.
Performance
The Hawk was designed to be manoeuvrable and can reach MachMach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
0.88 in level flight and Mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
1.15 in a dive, thus allowing trainees to experience transonic
Transonic
Transonic speed is an aeronautics term referring to the condition of flight in which a range of velocities of airflow exist surrounding and flowing past an air vehicle or an airfoil that are concurrently below, at, and above the speed of sound in the range of Mach 0.8 to 1.2, i.e. 600–900 mph...
flight before advancing to a supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
trainer. Its airframe is very durable and strong, stressed for +9 g
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
but the normal limit in RAF service is +7.5/-4 g.
Armament
The Hawk is designed to carry a centreline gun pod (normally a 30 mm ADEN cannonADEN cannon
The Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN is a 30 mm revolver cannon used on many military aircraft, particularly those of the British Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm...
) and two under-wing pylons. Most Hawks use the two hardpoints but the aircraft is designed to carry four. The RAF has used the under-wing pylons to carry Sidewinder
AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
air-to-air missile
Air-to-air missile
An air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
s.
United Kingdom
Folland Gnat
The Folland Gnat was a small, swept-wing British subsonic jet trainer and light fighter aircraft developed by Folland Aircraft for the Royal Air Force, and flown extensively by the Indian Air Force....
and Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
for advanced training and weapons training. The Hawk T1 ("Trainer Mark 1") was the original version used by the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, deliveries commencing in November 1976, with 176 being ordered.
From 1983 to 1986, some Hawks were equipped as short-range interceptor aircraft
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
. 88 T1s were modified to carry two AIM-9L Sidewinder
AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
air-to-air missiles (AAMs) in addition to the centreline gun pod
Gun pod
A gun pod is a detachable pod or pack containing machine guns or automatic cannon and ancillaries, mounted externally on a vehicle such as a military aircraft which may or may not also have its own guns....
carrying a 30 mm ADEN cannon
ADEN cannon
The Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN is a 30 mm revolver cannon used on many military aircraft, particularly those of the British Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm...
. These aircraft were named Hawk T1A. In a war, they would have worked in collaboration with Tornado F3
Panavia Tornado ADV
The Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant is a long-range, twin-engine interceptor version of the swing-wing Panavia Tornado. The aircraft's first flight was on 27 October 1979, and it entered service in 1986. It was retired on 22 March 2011 by the Royal Air Forceand is now only in service with the...
aircraft, which would use their Foxhunter search radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
s to vector the radarless Hawks against enemy targets. Such missions would have been flown by instructors. Conversions were completed in 1986. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, RAF Hawks stopped this. Hawks were used also as "aggressors", simulating air combat with Tornado ADV
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
s.
The most famous RAF operator of the Hawk is the Red Arrows
Red Arrows
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...
aerobatic team, which adopted the plane in 1979.
The Hawk subsequently replaced the English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
for target towing
Target tug
A target tug is an aircraft which tows an unmanned drone, a fabric drogue or other kind of target, for the purposes of gun or missile target practice. Target tugs are often conversions of transport and utility aircraft, as well as obsolescent combat types...
.
The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
acquired a dozen Hawk T1/1As from the RAF, for use as aerial targets for the training of ships' gunners and radar operators.
Eighty Hawk T1/1A aircraft have been upgraded under the Fuselage Replacement Programme (FRP), which involves the replacement of the aft, centre and rear fuselage sections, using new sections derived from the Mk. 60.
In 2009, the RAF began receiving the first Hawk T2 aircraft, which will replace the T1 advanced trainers.
As a precautionary measure the T1 fleet was grounded in August 2011, following a crash which killed a Red Arrows
Red Arrows
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...
pilot, but was returned to flight status a few days later.
Finland
The Finnish Air ForceFinnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
purchased fifty Hawk Mk. 51s in 1980. The aircraft were built in Finland under licence by Valtion lentokonetehdas
Valtion lentokonetehdas
' was a Finnish aircraft manufacturing company that was founded on 23 February 1928 from the IVL or I.V.L. factory . The company was transferred from being subordinate to the Finnish Air Force to being subordinate to the Ministry of Defence...
.
As a legacy of the WWII peace treaty, the Finnish Air Force
Finnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
was not allowed to possess more than 60 first-line fighter aircraft. By acquiring Hawks, which did not count as such but as trainers, the FAF could improve its operational capacity while complying with the treaty. These conditions were nullified at the break-up of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
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
Swiss Air Force
The Swiss Air Force is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on July 31, 1914, as part of the Army and as of January 1966 an independent service.In peacetime, Dübendorf is the operational Air Force HQ...
for 41 million euros to expand the lifespan of the Hawk fleet up until 2017–2019. They are to be delivered in 2009–2010. Finnish Hawks were sometimes seen armed with Russian Molniya R-60
Molniya R-60
The Molniya R-60 is a lightweight air-to-air missile designed for use by Soviet fighter aircraft. It has been widely exported, and remains in service with the CIS and many other nations....
/AA-8. The Finnish Mk. 51s have recently been upgraded with new software and the Patria
Patria (company)
Patria is a Finnish company which produces a wide range of defence, aviation and aerospace technology. It carries on the firearms tradition of Valtion Kivääritehdas and the aerospace tradition of Valtion lentokonetehdas.-Patria Aviation:* NH90* Mini-UAVs...
Cockpit 2000 glass-cockpit kit. The Mk. 66s are to be upgraded similarly.
The Finnish Air Force aerobatics team, the Midnight Hawks
Midnight Hawks
Midnight Hawks is a Finnish aerobatics team. The team is organised by the Finnish Air Force.The aircraft used is the BAe Hawkadvanced jet trainer-History:...
, also uses the aircraft.
Indonesia
The Indonesian Air ForceIndonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
received 38 Hawks in the 1980s and 1990s, including 32 Hawk 200, single-seat, combat aircraft. Allegations of their use against Timorese, pro-independence groups during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor
Indonesian occupation of East Timor
Indonesia occupied East Timor from December 1975 to October 1999. After centuries of Portuguese colonial rule in East Timor, a 1974 coup in Portugal led to decolonization among its former colonies, creating instability in East Timor and leaving its future uncertain...
created controversy in the United Kingdom. In January 1996, four protesters broke into a BAe factory and caused £1.5 million worth of damage to an Indonesia-bound aircraft. The four were tried and acquitted; the jury accepted their argument they had used "reasonable force to prevent a crime".
Zimbabwe
The No.2 Squadron of the Air Force of ZimbabweAir Force of Zimbabwe
The Air Force of Zimbabwe is the air force of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. It was known as the Rhodesian Air Force until 1980. The Air Force of Zimbabwe saw service in the Mozambican Civil War in 1985 and the Second Congo War of 1998–2001....
was equipped with 12 BAE Hawk T.Mk. 60/60As, acquired in 1980 and 1992 and employed in the strike fighter
Strike fighter
In a current military parlance, a strike fighter is a multi-role combat aircraft designed to operate primarily in the air-to-surface attack role while also incorporating certain performance characteristics of a fighter aircraft. As a category, it is distinct from fighter-bombers...
role. These were equipped with AIM-9B Sidewinder AAMs, Mk. 82-series bomb
Mark 82 bomb
The Mark 82 is an unguided, low-drag general-purpose bomb, part of the U.S. Mark 80 series. The explosive filling is tritonal.-Development and deployment:...
s, and Hunting BL.755
BL755
BL755 is a cluster bomb. Its primary targets are armored vehicles and tanks with secondary soft target capabilities.-Design:The BL755 looks like a standard 1,000 lb general purpose bomb but with a hard "saddle" on the spine for ejector release and crutching pad loads and a distinctive large...
cluster-bomber units (CBUs), as well as launchers for unguided rockets. The Hawks supported the Congolese Army against Rwandan, Ugandan and rebel forces in 1998.
Hawk T1
The Hawk T1 (Trainer Mark 1) was the original version of the Hawk used by the RAF, deliveries commencing in November 1976. The UK ordered 176 T1s.Hawk T1A
The Hawk T1A is a modified Hawk T1, which was intended to replace the Hawker HunterHawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
in the RAF's Tactical Weapons Units. A total of 89 aircraft were converted to carry two underwing AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and a centreline gun pod. During the 1980s, the RAF began using TWU Hawks in the Mixed Fighter Force (MFF) concept; the intention was to attach three of four Hawks to a Phantom
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
or Tornado
Panavia Tornado ADV
The Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant is a long-range, twin-engine interceptor version of the swing-wing Panavia Tornado. The aircraft's first flight was on 27 October 1979, and it entered service in 1986. It was retired on 22 March 2011 by the Royal Air Forceand is now only in service with the...
interceptor, which would guide them using its powerful radar onto enemy targets.
This is also the variant used by the RAF's Red Arrows
Red Arrows
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...
display team; the underbody gun pod is used to carry oil for the display smoke system.
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 51 – Export version for the Finnish Air ForceFinnish Air ForceThe Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
. - 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 ForceIndonesian Air ForceThe Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
.
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-RoyceRolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
Adour
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour
|-See also:- External links :* * *...
861 engines, and is capable of a level speed at altitude of 555 knots (1028 km/h) or Mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
0.84. The T-45 Goshawk
T-45 Goshawk
|-Avionics:Data from naval-technology.com *Smiths Industries, Ltd. AN/USN-2 Standard Attitude Heading and Reference System . Later replaced by the BAE/Marconi AN/ASN-180 Navigation Guidance System ....
was derived from this version.
- Hawk 60 – Export version for the Air Force of ZimbabweAir Force of ZimbabweThe Air Force of Zimbabwe is the air force of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. It was known as the Rhodesian Air Force until 1980. The Air Force of Zimbabwe saw service in the Mozambican Civil War in 1985 and the Second Congo War of 1998–2001....
. Eight Hawks were sold to Zimbabwe, they were delivered between July and October 1982. - Hawk 60A – Five Hawks were sold to Zimbabwe as part of a follow-on order. The aircraft were delivered between June and September 1992.
- Hawk 61 – Export version for DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates Air ForceUnited Arab Emirates Air ForceThe United Arab Emirates Air Force is the air force of the United Arab Emirates . Its predecessor was established in 1968, when the Emirates were still under British rule. Since then, it has undergone a continual reorganization and expansion in terms of both capability and numbers of aircraft... - Hawk 63 – Export version for Abu DhabiAbu DhabiAbu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, United Arab Emirates Air Force. - Hawk 63A – 15 Hawk 63s were upgraded to this standard.
- Hawk 63C – Four aircraft were sold to Abu Dhabi as part of a follow-on order.
- Hawk 64 – Export version for the Kuwait Air ForceKuwait Air ForceThe Kuwait Air Force is the air arm of the State of Kuwait. The Air Force headquarters is located at Al Mubarak Air Base, with the remaining forces stationed at Air Defence Brigade, Ali Al Salem Air Base and Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base...
. - Hawk 65 – Export version for the Royal Saudi Air ForceRoyal Saudi Air ForceThe Royal Saudi Air Force , is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabian armed forces. The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced offensive capability...
. - Hawk 65A – 20 were sold to Saudi Arabia as part of a follow-on order.
- Hawk 66 – Export version for the Swiss Air ForceSwiss Air ForceThe Swiss Air Force is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on July 31, 1914, as part of the Army and as of January 1966 an independent service.In peacetime, Dübendorf is the operational Air Force HQ...
. - Hawk 67 – Export version for the South Korean Air Force.
Hawk 100
A two-seat advanced weapons trainer with additional avionicsAvionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
, including forward looking infrared
Forward looking infrared
Forward looking infrared cameras, typically used on military aircraft, use an imaging technology that senses infrared radiation.The sensors installed in forward looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal imaging cameras, use detection of infrared radiation, typically emitted from a...
(optional, fitted to Malaysian aircraft), a redesigned wing and HOTAS
HOTAS
HOTAS, an abbreviation for Hands On Throttle-And-Stick, is the name given to the concept of placing buttons and switches on the throttle stick and flight control stick in an aircraft's cockpit, allowing the pilot to access vital cockpit functions and fly the aircraft without having to remove his...
.
- Hawk 102 – Export version for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Air Force.
- Hawk 103 – Export version for the Royal Air Force of OmanRoyal Air Force of OmanThe Royal Air Force of Oman is the air arm of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces-History:...
. - 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 ForcesCanadian Forces Air CommandThe Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of 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 ForceSouth African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
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
The Royal Australian Air ForceRoyal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
ordered 33 Hawk 127 Lead-in Fighters (LIFs) in June 1997, 12 of which were produced in the UK and 21 in Australia. This variant is also powered by the Adour 871. The Hawk 127 is operated by the RAAF's No. 76 Squadron
No. 76 Squadron RAAF
No. 76 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force flight training squadron. Established in 1942, the squadron operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighter aircraft and saw combat during World War II. Following the war it formed part of Australia's contribution to the occupation of Japan until it was...
and No. 79 Squadron
No. 79 Squadron RAAF
No. 79 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force flight training unit which has been formed on four occasions since 1943. The squadron was established in May 1943 as a fighter unit equipped with Supermarine Spitfires, and subsequently saw combat in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II...
which are based at RAAF Base Williamtown
RAAF Base Williamtown
RAAF Base Williamtown is a Royal Australian Air Force base and headquarters to Australia's Tactical Fighter group. The base is located north of the coastal city of Newcastle, New South Wales in the Local Government Area of Port Stephens. The military base shares its runway facilities with...
and RAAF Base Pearce
RAAF Base Pearce
RAAF Base Pearce is the main RAAF base in Western Australia. The base is located in Bullsbrook, north of Perth. It is used for training by the Royal Australian Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Air Force...
respectively.
Hawk 128 (Hawk T2)
Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
Adour 951 engine. The UK Ministry of Defence awarded a Design and Development Contract to BAE Systems on 22 Dec 2004, 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. 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 Aerodrome
Warton Aerodrome
Warton Aerodrome is located near to Warton village on the Fylde in Lancashire, England. The aerodrome is west of Preston, Lancashire, UK.Today the airfield is a major assembly and testing facility of BAE Systems Military Air Solutions....
and lasted for 1 hour 18 minutes.
Hawk 132
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
(IAF) on 23 February 2008 after one of the most protracted procurement processes in India's history, with two decades having elapsed between the initial interest and the contract signing on 26 March 2004. The IAF was to receive 24 aircraft directly from BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
, with deliveries beginning in November 2007, and the remaining 42 to be assembled by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited based in Bangalore, India, is one of Asia's largest aerospace companies. Under the management of the Indian Ministry of Defence, this state-owned company is mainly involved in aerospace industry, which includes manufacturing and assembling aircraft, navigation and...
between 2008 and 2011. BAE Systems has delivered the 24th and final UK built Indian Hawk in November 2009. HAL handed over the first locally built Hawk 132 to the IAF on 14 August 2008. These aircraft will be powered by Rolls Royce Mk 871 turbo fan engine.
In February 2008, India planned to order 57 more Hawks, with 40 going to the Indian Air Force and the remaining 17 to the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
. For a time it looked as if the order had been shelved. There were reports that the IAF was unhappy with the spares supply situation. However in July 2010 it was announced that the IAF and the Navy would receive the additional 57 aircraft.
The deal was finally signed on 29 July 2010 during PM David Cameron's visit to India.The aircraft, 40 of which will go to the Indian air force and the other 17 to the country's navy, will be built in India by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), under licence from BAE. On 10 February 2011, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and GE Aviation signed a contract that makes GE Aviation responsible for 30 years of maintenance.
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 SidewinderAIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
and AGM-65 Maverick
AGM-65 Maverick
The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile designed for close-air support. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation and fuel storage facilities....
. 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
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and the Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land...
. Indonesia, Malaysia and Oman have ordered 62 aircraft. Brunei
Royal Brunei Air Force
The Royal Brunei Air Force or Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei as it is known by its Malay name, is the air force of the sultanate of Brunei. It is mainly based at the Rimba Air Base within the Brunei International Airport...
have been interested in acquiring this model (and the Hawk 100), but any prospective order has been continually delayed since the mid-1980s.
- Hawk 203 – Export version for the Royal Air Force of Oman.
- Hawk 205 – Proposed export version for the Royal Saudi Air ForceRoyal Saudi Air ForceThe Royal Saudi Air Force , is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabian armed forces. The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced offensive capability...
. - Hawk 208 – Export version for the Royal Malaysian Air Force. (18)
- Hawk 209 – Export version for the Indonesian Air ForceIndonesian Air ForceThe Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
. (32)
T-45 Goshawk
The T-45 Goshawk is a fully carrierAircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
-capable aircraft developed from the Hawk 60 for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
for use in aircraft carrier training.
Current operators
Australia
- Royal Australian Air ForceRoyal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
– 33 Hawk 127s- No. 76 SquadronNo. 76 Squadron RAAFNo. 76 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force flight training squadron. Established in 1942, the squadron operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighter aircraft and saw combat during World War II. Following the war it formed part of Australia's contribution to the occupation of Japan until it was...
/No. 78 WingNo. 78 Wing RAAFNo. 78 Wing is the Royal Australian Air Force's operational training wing. It is headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales, and operates the BAE Hawk 127 lead-in fighter. The wing was formed in 1943 and operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighters in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II...
at RAAF Base WilliamtownRAAF Base WilliamtownRAAF Base Williamtown is a Royal Australian Air Force base and headquarters to Australia's Tactical Fighter group. The base is located north of the coastal city of Newcastle, New South Wales in the Local Government Area of Port Stephens. The military base shares its runway facilities with... - No. 79 SquadronNo. 79 Squadron RAAFNo. 79 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force flight training unit which has been formed on four occasions since 1943. The squadron was established in May 1943 as a fighter unit equipped with Supermarine Spitfires, and subsequently saw combat in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II...
/No. 78 WingNo. 78 Wing RAAFNo. 78 Wing is the Royal Australian Air Force's operational training wing. It is headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales, and operates the BAE Hawk 127 lead-in fighter. The wing was formed in 1943 and operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighters in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II...
at RAAF Base PearceRAAF Base PearceRAAF Base Pearce is the main RAAF base in Western Australia. The base is located in Bullsbrook, north of Perth. It is used for training by the Royal Australian Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Air Force...
- No. 76 Squadron
Bahrain
- Royal Bahraini Air ForceRoyal Bahraini Air ForceThe Royal Bahraini Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Bahrain Defense Force. The air force had 650 personnel in 1992 and 1,500 in 2009.- History :...
– 6 Hawk 129s- No. 5 Squadron at Shaikh IsaSheik Isa Air BaseIsa Air Base, formerly Shaikh Isa Air Base , is located on the 665 km² island nation of Bahrain which is situated off Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast...
- No. 5 Squadron at Shaikh Isa
Canada
- Canadian ForcesCanadian ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
Air Command/Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air ForceThe history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
– 17 Hawk 115s- 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School is one of the Royal Canadian Air Force's training centres for pilots and also one of the facilities of the NFTC program.-Facilities:The school is located at CFB Moose Jaw with:* classrooms...
/15 WingCFB Moose JawCanadian Forces Base Moose Jaw , commonly referred to as 15 Wing Moose Jaw and CFB Moose Jaw, is a Canadian Forces Base located south of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan...
at CFB Moose JawCFB Moose JawCanadian Forces Base Moose Jaw , commonly referred to as 15 Wing Moose Jaw and CFB Moose Jaw, is a Canadian Forces Base located south of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan... - 419 Tactical Fighter Training SquadronNo. 419 Squadron RCAF419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron is an air force unit with the Canadian Forces. The squadron was originally formed during the Second World War as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force...
/4 WingCFB Cold LakeCanadian Forces Base Cold Lake , commonly referred to as CFB Cold Lake, is a Canadian Forces Base located within the City of Cold Lake, Alberta. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CF-18 Hornet fighter/interceptor...
at CFB Cold LakeCFB Cold LakeCanadian Forces Base Cold Lake , commonly referred to as CFB Cold Lake, is a Canadian Forces Base located within the City of Cold Lake, Alberta. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CF-18 Hornet fighter/interceptor...
- 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School
Finland
- Finnish Air ForceFinnish Air ForceThe Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
– 75 Hawks (50 Mk.51, 7 Mk.51A, 18 Mk.66)- Fighter Squadron 41 (HävLLv 41) at KauhavaKauhavaKauhava is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southern Ostrobothnia region, northwest of Helsinki and by the main railway from Helsinki to Oulu. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
- Finnish Air Force Display Team Midnight HawksMidnight HawksMidnight Hawks is a Finnish aerobatics team. The team is organised by the Finnish Air Force.The aircraft used is the BAe Hawkadvanced jet trainer-History:...
- Fighter Squadron 41 (HävLLv 41) at Kauhava
India
- Indian Air ForceIndian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
– 24 Hawk 132s (Total 123 ordered) - Indian NavyIndian NavyThe Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
– Reports surfaced in early 2008 that the Indian government has approved a follow-on order of 57 more BAE Systems Hawk Mk 132s, with 17 going to the Indian Navy and the remaining 40 slated for the Indian Air Force. Those plans were temporarily shelved, but a renewed go-ahead was given in July 2010.
Indonesia
- Indonesian Air ForceIndonesian Air ForceThe Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
– 38 Hawk 53/109/209s- Skadron Udara 1 "Elang Khatulistiwa" ("Equatorial Eagles"), at Supadio AirportSupadio AirportSupadio International Airport is an airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:...
- Skadron Udara 12 "Panther Hitam" ("Black Panthers"), at Pekanbaru/Sultan Syarif Qasim II International AirportSultan Syarif Qasim II International AirportSultan Syarif Qasim II International Airport is an international airport that serves the city of Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia. The airport is often referred as to SSQ II, SSQ or Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport , and formerly known as Simpang Tiga Airport...
- Skadron Udara 15/Wing 3 at Iswahjudi Air Force Base, MadiunMadiunMadiun is a city in the western part of the province of East Java Indonesia, an agricultural centre. It is the capital of the regency of the same name....
- Skadron Udara 1 "Elang Khatulistiwa" ("Equatorial Eagles"), at Supadio Airport
Kenya
- Kenya Air ForceKenya Air ForceThe Kenya Air Force is the national Air Force of Kenya.The main airbase operating fighters is Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, while Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi is the HQ & operations Kenya Air Force. Other bases include FOB Mombasa The Kenya Air Force (KAF) is the national Air Force of...
– 7 Hawk 52s
Kuwait
- Kuwait Air ForceKuwait Air ForceThe Kuwait Air Force is the air arm of the State of Kuwait. The Air Force headquarters is located at Al Mubarak Air Base, with the remaining forces stationed at Air Defence Brigade, Ali Al Salem Air Base and Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base...
– 10 Hawk 64s (as of 2008)- No. 12 Training Squadron at Ali AlSalem ABAli Al Salem Air BaseAli Al Salem Air Base is a military airbase situated in Kuwait, approximately 23 miles from the Iraqi border. The airfield is owned by the Government of Kuwait, and during Operation Southern Watch and Operation Telic / Operation Iraqi Freedom hosted Royal Air Force , United States Air Force and...
(Flying school)
- No. 12 Training Squadron at Ali AlSalem AB
Malaysia
- Royal Malaysian Air Force – 19 Hawk 108/208s
- Skuadron 6 Cakra at RMAF Kuantan/Sultan Ahmed ShahSultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport"RAF Kuantan", "RMAF Kuantan" & "Kuantan Airfield" redirect here.Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport is an airport that serves Kuantan, a city in the state of Pahang in Malaysia. The airport is located 15 km from the city. In 2009, the airport handled 226,912 passengers on 3,110 flights, though the...
- Skuadron 9 at RMAF LabuanLabuan Airport"RAF Labuan/RMAF Labuan" & "Labuan Airbase/Airfield" redirects here.Labuan Airport is an airport that serves the federal territory of Labuan in Malaysia. The airport is 8 km from Victoria...
(disbanded) - Skuadron 15 Panther at RMAF Butterworth
- Skuadron 6 Cakra at RMAF Kuantan/Sultan Ahmed Shah
Oman
- Royal Air Force of OmanRoyal Air Force of OmanThe Royal Air Force of Oman is the air arm of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces-History:...
– 15 Hawk 103/203s- No. 6 Squadron at RAFO MasirahMasirah IslandMasirah is an island off the East coast of Oman, 95 km long north-south, between 12 and 14 km wide, with an area of about 649 km², and a population estimated at 12,000 in 12 villages mainly in the north of the island...
- No. 6 Squadron at RAFO Masirah
Saudi Arabia- Royal Saudi Air ForceRoyal Saudi Air ForceThe Royal Saudi Air Force , is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabian armed forces. The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced offensive capability...
– 45 Hawk 65s- No. 21 Squadron/No. 7 Wing at Tabuk/King FaisalTabuk Regional AirportTabuk Regional Airport or King Faisal Airbase is a military and civilian airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.-Military use:The Royal Saudi Air Force keeps much of its F-15 fighter jets at Tabuk.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:...
- No. 79 Squadron/No. 7 Wing at Tabuk/King Faisal
- No. 88 Squadron/No. 7 Wing at Tabuk/King Faisal
- No. 21 Squadron/No. 7 Wing at Tabuk/King Faisal
South Africa
- South African Air ForceSouth African Air ForceThe South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
– 24 Hawk 120s- 85 Combat Flying School85 Combat Flying School SAAF85 Combat Flying School is a unit of the South African Air Force. It is currently a jet flight-training and combat operations school. The school also has a wartime reserve role, although it has publicly been stated that the school will not be used operationally unless a very urgent need arises.*...
at AFB MakhadoAFB MakhadoAir Force Base Makhado , formerly Air Force Base Louis Trichardt, is an airbase of the South African Air Force, located at . It is the SAAF's northernmost base, situated at Louis Trichardt near the border with Zimbabwe, as well as being its most modern, and is known unofficially as Fighter Town,...
- 85 Combat Flying School
South Korea
- Republic of Korea Air ForceRepublic of Korea Air ForceThe Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea...
introduced September 1992. 17 in service as of November 2008. The Koreans however want to retire their Hawk fleet and replace them with indigenous KAI KT-1 basic trainers. The Hawks might be sold to Indonesia.- 216th Flight Training Squadron/16th Fighter Wing at Yecheon.
United Kingdom
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
– 81 Hawk T1s- No. 4 Flying Training School RAF
- No. 19 (R) SquadronNo. XIX Squadron RAFNo. 19 Squadron RAF was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force.-First World War:No. 19 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was founded on 1 September 1915 training on a variety of aircraft before being deployed to France in July 1916 flying B.E.12s and re-equipping with the more suitable...
/No. 4 Flying Training School at RAF ValleyRAF ValleyRAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with Search and Rescue. Unofficially the motto for RAF Valley is 'One Valley, Training... - No. 208 (R) SquadronNo. 208 Squadron RAFNo 208 Squadron is at present a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operates the BAe Hawk aircraft.-World War I:...
/No. 4 Flying Training School at RAF Valley
- No. 19 (R) Squadron
- No. 100 SquadronNo. 100 Squadron RAFNo. 100 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is based at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, UK, and operates the Hawker-Siddeley Hawk.-World War I:No. 100 was established on 23 February 1917 at Hingham in Norfolk as the Royal Flying Corps' first squadron formed specifically as a night bombing unit and...
at RAF LeemingRAF LeemingRAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, UK.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leeming. The Station Commander is Group Captain Anthony Innes.... - RAF Aerobatic Team "Red Arrows"Red ArrowsThe Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...
at RAF ScamptonRAF ScamptonRoyal Air Force Station Scampton is a Royal Air Force station situated north of Lincoln in England, near the village of Scampton, on the site of an old First World War landing field.-First World War:... - Joint Forward Air Control Training and Standards Unit (JFACTSU) at RAF Leeming
- RAF Centre of Aviation MedicineRAF Centre of Aviation MedicineThe RAF Centre for Aviation Medicine is a medical organisation run by the Royal Air Force at RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire. It is the main site of aviation medicine research in the UK.-Formation:...
at Boscombe Down
- No. 4 Flying Training School RAF
Past Units.
-
- No. 4 Flying Training School (not current)
- 74 (R) SquadronNo. 74 Squadron RAFNo. 74 Squadron RAF, also known as a "Tiger Squadron" from its tiger head motif, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s.-First World War:...
- 208 (R) SquadronNo. 208 Squadron RAFNo 208 Squadron is at present a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operates the BAe Hawk aircraft.-World War I:...
- 74 (R) Squadron
- No. 6 Flying Training School (not current)
- No. 1 Tactical Weapons Unit (not current)
- 79 (R) SquadronNo. 79 Squadron RAF-World War I:It was first formed at Gosport on 1 August 1917 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. It was equipped with Sopwith Dolphin fighter aircraft in December that year, moving to France in February 1918. It specialised in low-level ground-attack operations, mainly in support of the...
- 234 (R) SquadronNo. 234 Squadron RAFNo. 234 Squadron RAF had a long career within the RAF, being operational on flying boats in World War I and on fighter aircraft in World War II. After the war it remained a fighter unit till 1957. In its last incarnation the squadron was in turn Operational Training Unit , Tactical Weapon Unit and...
- 79 (R) Squadron
- No. 2 Tactical Weapons Unit (not current)
- 63 (R) SquadronNo. 63 Squadron RAF-In World War I:No. 63 Squadron was formed on 31 August 1916 at Stirling, Scotland as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. The squadron was intended to operate as a day-bomber unit over the Western Front in France, and was therefore equipped with de Havilland DH4 aircraft; however at the last...
- 151 (R) SquadronNo. 151 Squadron RAF-World War I:No. 151 squadron was founded at Hainault Farm in Essex on 12 June 1918, and was equipped with Sopwith Camel aircraft.During the five months in which 151 Squadron had taken part in hostilities overseas, the total number of hours flown by night was 1443 hrs 26 mins.Sixteen enemy aircraft...
- 63 (R) Squadron
- No. 7 Flying Training School RAF (not current)
- 19 (R) SquadronNo. XIX Squadron RAFNo. 19 Squadron RAF was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force.-First World War:No. 19 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was founded on 1 September 1915 training on a variety of aircraft before being deployed to France in July 1916 flying B.E.12s and re-equipping with the more suitable...
- 92 (R) SquadronNo. 92 Squadron RAFNo. 92 Squadron, also known as No 92 Squadron, of the Royal Air Force was formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps at London Colney as a fighter squadron on 1 September 1917. It deployed to France in July 1918 and saw action for just four months, until the end of the war. During the conflict it...
- 19 (R) Squadron
- No. 4 Flying Training School (not current)
- Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
– 17 Hawk T1s- Fleet Requirements Air Direction Unit (FRADU) at RNAS Culdrose
United Arab Emirates
- United Arab Emirates Air ForceUnited Arab Emirates Air ForceThe United Arab Emirates Air Force is the air force of the United Arab Emirates . Its predecessor was established in 1968, when the Emirates were still under British rule. Since then, it has undergone a continual reorganization and expansion in terms of both capability and numbers of aircraft...
– 36 Hawk 61/62/102s- No. 63 (Advanced Training) Squadron at Al Ain InternationalAl Ain International AirportAl Ain International Airport is an airport located in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. It was opened in March 31, 1994. Fourteen flights and 4,000 passenger pass through the airport each week...
(Flying Training School – Khalifa bin Zayed Air College) - No. 102 Squadron at Minhad
- No. 63 (Advanced Training) Squadron at Al Ain International
Zimbabwe
- Air Force of ZimbabweAir Force of ZimbabweThe Air Force of Zimbabwe is the air force of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. It was known as the Rhodesian Air Force until 1980. The Air Force of Zimbabwe saw service in the Mozambican Civil War in 1985 and the Second Congo War of 1998–2001....
– 12 Hawk 60s- No. 2 Squadron Cobra at Gweru-ThornhillGweru-ThornhillGweru-Thornhill Air Base is one of the two main air bases of the Air Force of Zimbabwe located near the central city of Gweru, Thornhill Air Base is home to air force fighter squadrons and the Pilot Training School...
- No. 2 Squadron Cobra at Gweru-Thornhill
Former operators
Switzerland
- Swiss Air ForceSwiss Air ForceThe Swiss Air Force is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on July 31, 1914, as part of the Army and as of January 1966 an independent service.In peacetime, Dübendorf is the operational Air Force HQ...
: 20 Hawk Mk. 66s were bought in 1992 but decommissioned in 2002, of which 18 were sold to Finland in June 2007.
Specifications (Hawk 128)