BAe Systems Hawk

The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, jet-powered advanced 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 license in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with over 900 Hawks sold to eighteen operators around the world.
==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 centerline 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 diesel fuel and dye for the display smoke system.
===Hawk 50===
*Hawk 51: Export version for the Finnish Air Force. Fifty ordered December 1977, with first four to be built by British Aerospace and remaining aircraft assembled in Finland. Delivered December 1980 to September 1985.
**Hawk 51A: Seven Hawks were sold to Finland as part of a follow-on order. Powered by Adour 851 engine as used by Hawk 51, but with structural and wing modifications of later Hawks.
*Hawk 52: Export version for the Kenyan Air Force. Fitted with braking parachute. Twelve ordered February 9th 1978, with deliveries from 1980 to 1981.
*Hawk 53: Export version for the Indonesian Air Force. Eight ordered April 4th 1978, with five more ordered in May 1981, a further three in October 1981 and four in November 1982, giving a total of twenty delivered between 1980 and 1984. Five repurchased by BAE Systems in 1999.
===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 60: Export version for the Air Force of Zimbabwe. Fitted with braking parachute and provision for carrying a reconnaissance pod. Eight Hawks were ordered by Zimbabwe on January 9th 1981, and delivered between July and October 1982.
**Hawk 60A: Five Hawks were sold to Zimbabwe as part of a follow-on order in 1990. The aircraft were delivered between June and September 1992.
*Hawk 61: Export version for Dubai, United Arab Emirates Air Force. Eight ordered 30 June 1981 for a price of $40 million and delivered March to September 1983. Single additional attrition replacement aircraft delivered 1988.
*Hawk 62: Export version for Venezuela, order cancelled
*Hawk 63: Export version for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Air Force. Sixteen purchased on January 2nd 1983 for $180 million including spares and maintenance support. Delivery between October 1984 and May 1985.
**Hawk 63A: Fifteen Hawk 63s were upgraded to this standard from October 1991, with the Adour 871 engine and Advanced Combat Wing of the Hawk 100, with four underwing weapons pylons and wingtip missile rails, but retaining simpler avionics of Hawk 63.
**Hawk 63C: Four new build aircraft to Hawk 63A standard were sold to Abu Dhabi as part of a follow-on order and delivered from 1995.
*Hawk 64: Export version for the Kuwait Air Force. Twelve ordered 31 October 1983 and delivered 1985 to 1986.
*Hawk 65: Export version for the Royal Saudi Air Force. 30 ordered as part of Al Yamamah I arms deal in February 1986 with deliveries from August 1987 to October 1988.
**Hawk 65A: 20 were sold to Saudi Arabia as part of a follow-on order, to an improved standard, and delivered 1997.
*Hawk 66: Export version for the Swiss Air Force. Twenty ordered on 20 October 1987, with first built by BAe and remaining 19 assembled by the Federal Aircraft Factory at Emmen. Delivery from November 1989 to October 1991.
*Hawk 67: Export version for the Republic of Korea Air Force. Fitted with extended nose of Hawk 100 to accommodate avionics and a steerable nosewheel. Twenty ordered in July 1991, with delivery by November 1993.
===Hawk 100===
A two-seat advanced weapons trainer with additional avionics, an optional forward-looking infrared camera, a redesigned wing and hands-on stick-and-throttle controls.
*Hawk 102: Export version for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Air Force. Fitted with wingtip missile rails and Racal Prophet radar warning receiver (RWR). Eighteen ordered in 1989 and delivered between April 1993 and March 1994.
*Hawk 103: Lead-in fighter trainer for the Royal Air Force of Oman. Fitted with FLIR and laser ranger in extended nose, BAE Sky Guardian RWR and wingtip AAM rails. Four were ordered on 30 July 1990 and delivered from December 1993 to January 1994.
*Hawk 108: Export version for the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Fitted with BAE Sky Guardian RWR and wing tip AAM rails. Ten ordered December 1990, and delivered January 1994 to September 1995.
*Hawk 109: Export version for the Indonesian Air Force.
*Hawk 115: Export version for the Canadian Forces, designated CT-155 Hawk in Canadian service.
*Hawk 129: Export version for Royal Bahraini Air Force.
===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. Work to upgrade the RAAF's Hawks to a standard similar to the Hawk 128 standard began in 2014, and it is planned that the two squadrons will begin operations with these aircraft in 2017.
===Hawk 128/T2===
The Hawk 128 is the new Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) for the RAF and Royal Navy. The 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.
===Hawk 132===
The Hawk Mk. 132 is an 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 are powered by the Rolls-Royce Adour Mk 871 engine.
===Hawk 165===
The Mk. 165 is an export variant of the AJT currently flown by the Royal Saudi Air Force. 22 aircraft were originally built in the UK by BAE with delivery completed in 2017, whilst another 22 aircraft are currently being built locally in Saudi Arabia with the first "locally built" aircraft delivered to the RSAF in June 2019 and a further 7 by October 2019.
===Hawk 166===
The Mk. 166 is an export variant of the AJT currently flown by the Royal Air Force of Oman. 8 aircraft were ordered in 2012 and built in the UK, with the first aircraft delivered in 2017.
===Advanced Hawk===
The Advanced Hawk is a joint venture by BAE Systems and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited; a single example of the aircraft was unveiled at the Aero India 2017 on February 14th 2017. It made its first flight in June 2017.
==Users==
*Afghanistan
**Afghan Air Force x 22
*Australia
**Royal Australian Air Force x 33
*Bahrain
**Royal Bahraini Air Force x 6
*Brunei
**Royal Brunei Air Force
*Canada
**Royal Canadian Air Force x 40
*Finland
**Finnish Air Force x 75
*India
**Indian Air Force x 124
**Indian Navy x 24
*Indonesia
**Indonesian Air Force x 38 - to be replaced by KAI T-50 Golden Eagle
*Jordan
**Royal Jordanian Air Force x 14
*Kenya
**Kenyan Air Force x 8
*Republic of Korea
**Republic of Korea Air Force x 20 - replaced by KAI T-50 Golden Eagle
*Kuwait
**Kuwait Air Force x 10
*Malaysia
**Royal Malaysian Air Force x 20
*Oman
**Royal Air Force of Oman x 24
*Qatar
**Qatar Emiri Air Force x 10 on order
*Saudi Arabia
**Royal Saudi Air Force x 22 + 22 Hawk AJT on order
*South Africa
**South African Air Force x 24
*Switzerland
**Swiss Air Force x 20 - replaced by Pilatus PC-21
*United Arab Emirates
**United Arab Emirates Air Force x 48
*United Kingdom
**Royal Air Force x 110 (82 x Hawk T1, 28 x Hawk T2)
**Royal Navy x 22
*Zimbabwe
**Zimbabwe Air Force x 12
==See Also==
===Related Development===
*British Aerospace Hawk 200
*McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk
===Comparable Aircraft===
*AIDC AT-3 Tzu Chung
*Aermacchi MB-339
*Aero L-39 Albatros
**Aero L-159 ALCA
*Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master
*CASA C-101 Aviojet
*Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
*FMA IA-63 Pampa
*Hongdu JL-8
*IAR-99 Șoim
*Mitsubishi T-2
*PZL I-22 Iryda
*Soko G-4 Super Galeb
*Yakovlev Yak-130
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