Hawks In Saudi
     Saudi Arabia rolled-out the first of 22 domestically manufactured BAE Systems Hawk Mk 165 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft during a ceremony held in April. The event at the King Abdulaziz Air Base marked a major milestone in the country's Vision 2030 programme for technical expertise and economic growth. Already an operator of Mk 65 and Mk 65A Hawks, the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) ordered its first replacement batch of 22 Mk 165 AJT aircraft in 2012, with deliveries beginning in 2016.
Australian Hawk Upgrade

BAE Systems Australia has completed the capability upgrade on the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Hawk Mk127 advanced trainer aircraft fleet at its Williamtown maintenance facility. Engineers in the UK and Australia, as well as RAAF technicians, were involved in the 33 aircraft programme. With this upgraded Hawk, the RAAF has a lead-in fighter that is ready to train pilots for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. The Hawks provide new training capabilities including simulated radar, electronic warfare, digital mapping, ground proximity warning and traffic collision avoidance. The upgrade also includes the replacement of two synthetic training devices with three full mission simulators provided by Australian defence contractor CAE.
The Hawk Mk127 fleet has been an integral part of the RAAF’s fast jet training system since 2001 and is operated by 76 and 79 squadrons at the Williamtown and Pearce bases. Over the years the fleet has delivered trained aircrew for Hornets, Super Hornets and Growlers. BAE Systems has been awarded a contract extension to continue to sustain the RAAF Hawk fleet until at least 2022.