BAE Systems Hawk The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single - engine , advanced jet trainer aircraft . It was first flown at Dunsfold , Surrey , in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk , and subsequently produced by its successor companies , British Aerospace and BAE Systems , respectively . It has been used in a training capacity and as a low - cost combat aircraft . Operators of the Hawk include the Royal Air Force ( notably the Red Arrows display team ) and a considerable number of foreign military operators . The Hawk is still in production in the UK and under licence in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ( HAL ) with over 900 Hawks sold to 18 operators around the world . Development . Origins . In 1964 the Royal Air Force 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 . 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 . The prototype aircraft first flew on 21 August 1974 . All development aircraft were built on production jigs ; the program remained on time and to budget throughout . The Hawk T1 entered RAF service in late 1976 . The first export Hawk 50 flew on 17 May 1976 . This variant had been specifically designed for the dual - role of lightweight fighter and advanced trainer ; it had a greater weapons capacity than the T . 1 . More variants of the Hawk followed and common improvements to the base design typically include increased range , more powerful engines , redesigned wing and undercarriage , the addition of radar and forward - looking infrared ( FLIR ) , GPS navigation , and night vision compatibility . Later models were manufactured with a great variety in terms of avionics fittings and system compatibility to suit the individual customer nation , cockpit functionality was often rearranged and programmed to be common to an operator ' s main fighter fleet to increase the Hawk ' s training value . In 1981 a derivative of the Hawk was selected by the United States Navy as their new trainer aircraft . Designated the McDonnell Douglas T - 45 Goshawk , the design was navalised and strengthened to withstand operating directly from the decks of carriers in addition to typical land - based duties ; This T - 45 entered service in 1994 ; initial aircraft has analogue cockpits , while later deliveries featured a digital glass cockpit . All airframes are planned to undergo avionics upgrades to a common standard . Further development . A major competitor to the Hawk for export sales has been the Dassault / Dornier Alpha Jet ; aviation expert John W . R . Taylor commented : " 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 . " By early 1998 , a total of 734 Hawks had been sold , more than 550 of which had been to export customers . Military customers often procured the Hawk as a replacement for older aircraft such as the BAC Strikemaster , Hawker Hunter , and Douglas A - 4 Skyhawk . During the 1980s and 1990s , British Aerospace , the successor company to Hawker Siddeley , was trying to gain export sales of the variable - wing Panavia Tornado strike aircraft ; however countries such as Thailand and Indonesia , whom had shown initial interest in the Tornado , concluded that the Hawk to be a more suitable and preferable aircraft for their requirements . Malaysia and Oman cancelled their arranged Tornado orders in the early 1990s , both choosing to procure the Hawk instead . Aviation authors Norman Polmar and Dana Bell stated of the Hawk : " Of the many similar designs competing for a share of the world market , the Hawk has been without equal in performance as well as sales " . On 22 December 2004 , the Ministry of Defence awarded a contract to BAE Systems to develop an advanced model of the Hawk for the RAF and Royal Navy . The Hawk Mk . 128 , otherwise designated as Hawk T2 , replaces conventional instrumentation with a glass cockpit , to better resemble modern fighter aircraft such as the new mainstay of the RAF , the Eurofighter Typhoon . In October 2006 , a contract was signed for the production of 28 Hawk 128s . The aircraft ' s maiden flight occurred on 27 July 2005 from BAE Systems ' Warton Aerodrome . According to BAE Systems , as of July 2012 they have sold nearly 1000 Hawks so far , with sales continuing to date . In July 2012 , Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith confirmed that Australia ' s fleet of Hawk Mk 127s would be upgraded to a similar configuration to the RAF ' s Hawk T2 as part of a major mid - life upgrade . As of 2012 , the Hawk T2 is one of the competitors for the United States Air Force ' s T - X program to acquire a new trainer fleet . Design . The Hawk is an advanced trainer with a two - man tandem cockpit , a low - mounted cantilever wing and is powered by a single turbofan engine . Unlike many of the previous trainers in RAF service , the Hawk was specifically designed for training . Hawker had developed the aircraft to have a high level of servicability , as well as lower purchasing and operating costs than previous trainers like the Jet Provost . The Hawk has been praised by pilots for its agility , in particular its roll and turn handling . The design of the fuselage included a height differential between the two seats of the cockpit ; this provided generous levels of visibility for the instructor in the rear seat . Each cockpit is fitted with a Martin - Baker Mk 10B zero - zero rocket - assisted ejection seat . Air is fed to the aircraft ' s rear - mounted Rolls - Royce Turbomeca Adour engine via intakes on each of the forward wing roots . During the aircraft ' s development , Hawker had worked closely with Rolls - Royce to reduce the engine ' s fuel consumption and to ensure a high level of reliability . Even within the development stages , a Hawk variant was intended to also serve as a single - seat ground - attack fighter ; both the trainer and fighter models were developed with the export market in mind . On single seat models , the forward cockpit area which normally houses a pilot is replaced by an electronics bay for avionics and onboard systems , including a fire control computer , multi - mode radar , laser rangefinder and forward - looking infrared ( FLIR ) . Some export customers , such as Malaysia , have extensive modifications to their aircraft , including the addition of wingtip hardpoint stations and a fittable inflight refuelling probe . The Hawk was designed to be manoeuvrable and can reach Mach 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 . The airframe is very durable and strong , stressed for + 9 g , the normal limit in RAF service is + 7 . 5 / - 4 g . A dual hydraulic system supplies power to operate systems such as the aircraft ' s flaps , airbrakes and landing gear , together with the flight controls . A ram air turbine is fitted in front of the single tail fin to provide backup hydraulic power for the flight controls in the event of an engine failure , additionally a gas turbine auxiliary power unit is housed directly above the engine . The Hawk is designed to carry a centreline gun pod , such as the 30 mm ADEN cannon , two under - wing pylons , and up to four hardpoint s for fitting armaments and equipment . In RAF service , Hawks have been equipped to operate of Sidewinder air - to - air missile s . In the early 1990s , British Aerospace investigated the possibility of arming the Hawk with the Sea Eagle anti - ship missile for export customers . Operational history . United Kingdom . The Hawk entered RAF service in April 1976 , replacing the Folland Gnat and Hawker Hunter for advanced training and weapons training . The " Hawk T1 " was the original version used by the RAF , deliveries commencing in November 1976 . The most famous users of the Hawk is the Red Arrows aerobatic team , which adopted the plane in 1979 . 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 a 30 mm ADEN cannon gun pod ; these aircraft were redesignated as " Hawk T1A " . In a wartime scenario , they would have worked in collaboration with the RAF ' s Tornado F3 interceptors , which would use their Foxhunter search radar s and more sophisticated navigation systems to vector the Hawks against enemy targets . The Hawk subsequently replaced the English Electric Canberra for target towing duties . The Royal Navy acquired a dozen Hawk T1 / 1As from the RAF ; these are typically operated in a support role , often to conduct simulated combat training onboard ships . During the 1990s and 2000s , 80 Hawk T1 / 1A aircraft were upgraded under the Fuselage Replacement Programme ( FRP ) to extend their operational lifespan ; sections of the centre and rear fuselage sections were entirely replaced . In 2009 , the RAF began receiving the first Hawk T2 , in the long term , T2 aircraft will replace the ageing T1s . Training operations on the Hawk T2 began in April 2012 . In August 2011 , a Red Arrows pilot was killed when his Hawk T1 crashed following a display at the Bournemouth Air Festival , the inquest found " G - force impairment " may have caused the pilot to lose control ; the Hawk T1 fleet was grounded as a precautionary measure and returned to flight status a few days later . Three months later in November 2011 , the Red Arrows suffered another pilot fatality when the Martin - Baker Mk . 10 ejection seat fitted to the Hawk T1 activated while the aircraft was stationary ; the veteran combat pilot died on ground impact when the ejector seat parachute also failed to deploy . This resulted in the UK Ministry of Defence implementing a ban on non - essential flying in aircraft fitted with ejector seats similar to those fitted in the Hawk T1 after the death . The ban was lifted for Tornado attack jets but remained on Hawk T1 , Hawk T2 and Tucano flights while the RAF reviewed evidence on those aircraft . Finland . In January 1978 , Britain and Finland announced a deal to in which the Finnish Air Force was to receive 50 Hawk Mk . 51s in 1980 ; these aircraft were built in Finland under licence by Valtion lentokonetehdas . The Finnish Air Force was limited to 60 first - line fighter aircraft by the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947 ; by acquiring Hawks , which counted as trainers rather than fighters , capacity could be increased while continuing treaty compliance . 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 arranged to purchase 18 used Hawk Mk . 66s from the Swiss Air Force for 41 million euros ; they were delivered in 2009 – 2010 . Finnish Hawks have reportedly been armed with Russian Molniya R - 60 / AA - 8 air - to - air missiles . The Finnish Air Force aerobatics team , the Midnight Hawks , also uses the aircraft . Due to rising levels of metal fatigue , 41 out of 67 in Finland ' s total Hawk fleet will be taken out of service between 2012 – 2016 ; the remaining aircraft are younger and thus are expected to be flying into the 2030s . In 2011 , Finnish Mk . 51s and Mk . 66s underwent upgrades , including a new Patria " Cockpit 2000 " glass cockpit and new software . India . On 23 February 2008 , the Hawk Mk . 132 formally entered service with the Indian Air Force ( IAF ) , after one of the most protracted procurements in India ' s history , two decades having elapsed between the initial interest and the contract signing on 26 March 2004 . The IAF received 24 aircraft directly from BAE Systems with deliveries beginning in November 2007 , and further 42 Hawks assembled by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited between 2008 and 2011 . 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 . In July 2010 , it was announced that the IAF and the Navy would receive the additional 57 aircraft . The additional aircraft will be all built in India by Hindustan Aeronautics ( HAL ) , continuing to work under licence from BAE . On 10 February 2011 , Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and GE Aviation signed a contract under which GE Aviation will conduct the next 30 years of maintenance on the Hawk fleet . In 2011 , the IAF was reportedly unhappy with the provision of spare components ; In December 2011 , BAE received a contract to provide India with spares and ground support . Indonesia . In April 1978 , Indonesia , seeking to increase its aerial capabilities , placed the first of multiple orders for the Hawk . The Indonesian Air Force received more than 40 Hawks in the 1980s and 1990s ; In June 1991 , BAe and Indonesian Aerospace ( IPTN ) signed an major agreement for collaborative production of the Hawk , and more orders of the Hawk were anticipated . Further Hawk exports were eventually blocked due to concerns over Indonesian human rights , particularly in East Timor . The Hawks have been the backbone of Indonesian Air Force , supplementing more advanced and expensive aircraft such as the F - 16 Fighting Falcon . As of , the Hawk will be replaced in the training capacity by the KAI T - 50 Golden Eagle . Malaysia . The Royal Malaysian Air Force ( ) has 19 Hawk aircraft , consists of four Hawk 108 export versions for training aircraft and 14 Hawk 208 for combat aircraft . On March 5 , 2013 , during the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff , five Hawk 208 together with three American - made Boeing F / A - 18D Hornet s were employed in an airstrike on hideout of terrorist group Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo in Lahad Datu , Sabah just before the joint forces of Malaysian Army and Royal Malaysia Police operatives assault . Zimbabwe . In the 1980s , 12 BAE Hawk T . Mk . 60 / 60As were purchased for the Air Force of Zimbabwe ; the purchase was supported by a loan from the UK to Zimbabwe . The Hawk deal also included the transfer of a number of second - hand Hawker Hunter s . In July 1982 , at least one Hawk was destroyed on the ground and three more heavily damaged during a dissident attack on Thornhill air base , Gweru . Zimbabwe ' s Hawks were used during the Second Congo War . Numerous airstrikes were conducted in support of the Congolese Army against Rwandan , Ugandan and rebel forces in 1998 – 2000 . In 2000 , the controversy over Zimbabwe ' s military intervention in the Congo and poor human rights record led to Britain imposing a total arms embargo on the nation , including spare parts for the Hawk . Due to the embargo , Zimbabwe has purchased six Chinese Hongdu K - 8 s as a substitute . Others . During the 1980s , a prospective sale of 63 Hawk trainers to Iraq was considered by the British government . While the proposal had its proponents , it was controversial as in a ground - attack capacity Iraq might have employed the Hawk against neighbouring Iran and to oppress Iraq ' s own Kurdish population ; there was also concern that the Hawk could be potentially armed with chemical weapons . After considerable deliberation the sale was blocked . In 2010 , Iraq entered talks with BAE for an order of up to 21 Hawks . Saudi Arabia arranged to acquire the Hawk under the Al - Yamamah arms deal with Britain ; a total of 50 Hawk Mk . 65 / 65A were ordered under two orders placed in 1985 and 1994 respectively . In August 2012 , a roughly $ 800 million deal for 22 Hawk ' Advanced Jet Trainers ' was announced ; these are to replace the older models of Hawks in the Royal Saudi Air Force ( RSAF ) . The RSAF also has a demonstration team that flies the Hawk . In 1993 , talks between BAe and South Africa ' s Denel Aviation began regarding a replacement for the South African Air Force ( SAAF ) ' s ageing Atlas Impala fleet . By 2004 , Denel had begun construction of Hawks under licence from BAe ; components for other customers have also been produced by Denel . On 13 January 2005 , the first locally - assembled Hawk conducted its first flight ; it belonged to a batch of 24 trainers ordered by the SAAF . Variants . 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 RAF received a total of 175 T1s . Hawk T1A . The Hawk T1A is a modified Hawk T1 , intended to replace the Hawker Hunter 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 Aden gun pod . This is also the variant used by the RAF ' s Red Arrows display team ; the underbody gun pod is replaced by a fairing 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 90 of this variant . 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 . Hawk 100 . A two - seat advanced weapons trainer with additional avionics , an optional forward looking infrared , a redesigned wing and HOTAS . 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 . The Royal Australian Air Force 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 . Hawk 128 ( Hawk T2 ) . 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 is powered by the Rolls - Royce Adour 951 engine . The Ministry of Defence awarded a Design and Development Contract to BAE Systems on 22 December 2004 . The T2 builds on the design of the Australian Mk . 127 and the South African Mk . 120s . In 2012 orders were placed for the AJT version by the Royal Saudi Air Force and the Royal Omani Air Force for 22 and 8 aircraft respectively . Hawk 132 . The Hawk Mk . 132 is the latest export variant of the Hawk and was previously known as the Mk . 115Y . BAE Systems delivered the final of 24 UK - built Hawks to the IAF in November 2009 . HAL handed over the first locally - built Hawk 132 on 14 August 2008 . These aircraft will be powered by the Rolls - Royce Adour Mk 871 engine . Hawk 165 . The Mk . 165 is an export variant of the AJT currently on order by the Royal Saudi Air Force . The 22 aircraft are to be built in the UK by BAE . 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 . Indonesia , Malaysia and Oman have ordered 62 aircraft . Brunei has been interested in acquiring this model , but any prospective order has been continually delayed since the mid - 1980s . 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 aircraft carrier training . Past Units .