BAE Hawk T MK1,Click here for more...
In the current RAF training programme, the Hawk T1 is the first jet aircraft that a student pilot will fly.
An advanced, and very successful trainer, Hawk is used to teach operational tactics, air-to-air and air-to-ground firing, air combat and low-level operating procedures.
The first of 175 Hawks ordered for the RAF took to the air on 21 August 1974 and deliveries to RAF Valley commenced just over two years later. Aircraft were delivered with the ability to carry weapons and so the Valley- and Brawdy-based Hunters used for weapons training were retired and a new single-aircraft syllabus developed to take advantage of the Hawk's capabilities. Other training units to receive the Hawk were Tactical Weapons Units at Brawdy and Lossiemouth, the Central Flying School at Scampton and Valley and, in 1979, the RAF Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows.
In 1983, a contract was signed for the modification of 88 Hawks to enable them to carry Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and be used as 'local defence' fighters at airfields around the country, a role that the aircraft no longer carries out. With the reduction in RAF training requirements, the majority of the Hawk fleet is now concentrated at Valley, with No 100 Squadron at RAF Leeming holding the only sizeable fleet away from Anglesey, and many of these aircraft have undergone a major refurbishment to extend their service life.
Hawks are also flown by 100 Squadron from RAF Leeming in a wide variety of very specialised roles such as target facilities and specialist electronic warfare training. The Joint Forward Air Controller Training and Standards Unit (JFACTSU) (also based at Leeming) use Hawks for their training requirements, as well as by many test establishments and the Royal Navy.
One of the most successful British aircraft in recent history, a number of foreign air arms fly the Hawk (and its single-seat derivatives) including: Abu Dhabi, Finland, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States Navy.
Roles
- Advanced Flying Training (Fast-Jet)
- Test and other specialized roles
Armament
One 30mm Aden cannon pack and up to 5,600lb (2,540kg) of underwing stores (rockets, bombs and missiles).