The class leading Lead in Fighter Trainer – Advanced Hawk
A delegation from BAE Systems, one of the Humber Enterprise Parks flagship tenants recently attended the 11th Aero India Air Ahow held at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bangalore from 14th February to 18 February 2017.
They were there to support the launch of a new dual role combat-capable Advanced Hawk jet trainer that has been developed jointly by the UK’s BAE Systems and India’s public-sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The new airframe was formally unveiled at Aero India on 14th February 2017.
The India Hawk programme was launched in 2004 and to date 123 aircraft have been delivered to the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. More than 100,000 flying hours have been achieved with high levels of serviceability, enabling over 600 pilots to be trained to date.
So what is the Advanced Hawk? Primarily this aircraft is a Lead in Fighter Trainer. The airframe combines latest developments in the export Hawk fleet and new technology developed in India. The new design utilises the existing Hawk production and support infrastructure in India – maximising the reuse of facilities, skills and knowledge, to provide a low cost, high capability training aircraft. The new aircraft boasts new features that enable training currently performed on frontline fighter aircraft to be downloaded at significantly lower cost and in a structured and safe training environment. By having the ability to download training from front line, this vastly reduces training hours on the front line aircraft, creating additional capacity for operational tasks.
David Corfield, head of BAE Systems’ Hawk India programme said “Two years ago at Aero India 2015 we committed, along with our partner Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, to return at Aero India 2017 with a new version of Hawk and we have done just that. I was really proud to be part of the BAE Systems delegation that launched our new Advanced Hawk in the market. The aircraft offers substantially improved handling from the uprated engine and new wing and a revolutionary new cockpit featuring wide area display screen technology. This enables training currently performed on the front line fighter to be downloaded to Advanced Hawk where it can be undertaken at reduced cost and in a safer environment whilst at the same time creating capacity in the front line. Our BAE Systems team at Brough have created a superb concept demonstrator that will enable Hawk to continue to be the fast jet trainer of choice in the market'”.
Posted by HEP Communications | 27 February 2017
