Britain Orders 28 Hawk LIFT Advanced Fighter Trainers
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Britain has announced a GBP 450 million (about $841.5 million) contract for BAE Systems’ Hawk Mk.128 Lead-In Fighter Trainer (LIFT) aircraft. The contract covers production of 28 jets, logistics spares, and initial training. These Hawk LIFT aircraft will provide advanced jet training for both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots, as part of the UK Military Flying Training System.
Of course, Britain has plenty of trainers designed to train pilots, and many of them are earlier version of the successful Hawk jet trainer that also serves with at least 14 other countries around the globe. So what makes this contract significant, and why are Hawk LIFT aircraft different?
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BAE Systems popular Hawk jets come in Block 50 (including the US Navy’s T-45 Goshawk) and Block 60 configurations. There are also Hawk 100 series advanced two-seat weapon systems trainers with ground attack capability, and the single-seat Hawk 200 series which is a cheap subsonic multi-role fighter.
The Hawk Mk.128 is designed to be closer to flying front-line fighter jets. Derived from the Hawk 100, it achieves this goal by delivering a modern cockpit environment with digital displays, sophisticated navigation and advanced avionics, including simulations of the latest airborne weapons systems and a cockpit environment that shares many features with front line jets like the Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35B Lightning II, et. al.
For instance, in addition to having a “glass cockpit” of color LCD displays, a modern Heads-Up Display (HUD), and Hands-On-Throttle-And-Stick’ (HOTAS) controls fully representative of front line combat aircraft. The Mk. 128 Hawk LIFT also has a full featured IN/GPS navigation system with moving map display, new lighting fully compatible with the use of night-vision goggles for after dark operations, and twin Open Architecture mission computers hosting simulations of a wide range of sensor and weapon systems.
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Performance upgrades are included as well. The next generation Hawks (MK. 120, 127, 128, 129) 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.
For uprated power, the Mk.128/129s are fitted with the uprated Rolls-Royce Adour MK 951 that delivers 6,500 pounds of thrust and has a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). This is an upgrade over the 5,845 pound thrust Adour MK 871 found on earlier Hawk LIFT versions bought by Australia (33), or the Adour MK 861 found on many other Hawk trainers. This new engine also equips Bahrain’s 6 Hawk LIFT MK.129s, South Africa’s 24 Hawk LIFT Mk.120 aircraft (optimized for JAS-39 Gripen commonality), and the pan-European nEUROn Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle.
All of this upgraded equipment will allow the RAF to conduct more fighter pilot training on the less expensive Hawk LIFT aircraft. This in turn allows them to reduce the number of preparation and training flights in vastly more expensive front-line fighters, which have a limited airframe life and are more expensive per hour to fly. Indeed, the Hawk Mk. 128s will form a key part of the UK’s new joint service Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) program.
The Hawk 128 will be built at the BAE Systems site in Brough on Humberside, and assembled at their Warton facility. First deliveries are expected in 2008.
Additional Readings & Sources
- Air Force Technology – Hawk Mk 127 / Mk 128 LIFT Lead In Fighter Trainer, United Kingdom
- UK MoD (Oct 19/06) – New fleet of training Aircraft for UK’s Jet Pilots
- BAE Systems (Oct 19/06) – UK MoD Signs Production Contract For BAE Systems Hawk
- Air Force Technology – Hawk Trainer/Light Combat Aircraft, United Kingdom
