Thanks to BAE Systems' "Hawk News" and "Response" for the following items.
The first of six Royal Bahraini Air Force Hawk
Mk129s made its first flight in August 2005, nine months ahead of
schedule. The Mk129 is powered by the Adour Mk95, the first to
incorporate FADEC (full authority digital engine
control). The RBAF aircraft will equip an air training wing which will
give flying training to new recruits who will progress to F-16s.
At the end of July, erstwhile Dunsfold test pilot
Paul Hopkins, then Chief Test Pilot at Warton, made the maiden flight
of the first of two RAF Hawk Mk 128 Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs),
serial number ZK010. Paul, retired from a twenty year test flying
career, is now Hawk Mk 128 Project Director.
The Indian Hawk Mk 132 AJT programme is
gathering momentum. To remind readers, there will be 24 aircraft
built in the UK and ferried to India, 6 part manufactured at Brough and
shipped to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for completion, and 36
manufactured by HAL from raw materials supplied by BAES. In all 3,000
assembly tools and 39 sets of raw materials, each containing 130,000
line items, are to be provided. The first of four major shipments was
despatched in late 2005.
The Royal Australian Air Force's fleet of 33 Hawk Mk 127 Lead-In
Fighter (LIF) aircraft achieved 30,000 flying hours in September 2005.
The aircraft were delivered to the RAAF in 2000-2001 and are operated
by 76 Squadron at Williamtown, New South Wales, and 79 Squadron at
Pearce, Western Australia.
BAES's Australian Military Air Support business is providing The Royal
Saudi Air Force with an upgraded aircrew training system for their
three Hawk and PC-9 systems; two are in Saudi Arabia and one is at
Warton.
Our old friend G-HAWK, now known only as ZA101, has been flying from
Warton with a pointed tip to its long nose and a bare metal, but
unpolished, finish. Rumour has it that it is engaged in some kind of
'low observables' research.
