£372m investment for Hawk support sustains 700 UK jobs
The fleet of Hawk TMk1 and TMk2 aircraft are used by the UK armed forces for military flying training prior to conversion onto frontline fast jet aircraft, such as Typhoon or the future F35 Lightning II, and for a variety of other Royal Navy and Royal Air Force training requirements.
They are also the aircraft of choice by the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows - one of the world’s premier aerobatic display teams.
The five year support contracts will play a crucial role in providing a range of services to the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force’s Hawk aircraft at bases around the country including locations in Wales, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Somerset and Cornwall.
Minister for Defence Procurement Philip Dunne said: "The Hawk is a world-class training aircraft for our future fast jet aircrew. Pilots currently flying Typhoons and Tornados with such precision targeting Daesh in Iraq and Syria to keep Britain safe first learnt their skills in the Hawk. It will also be used to train the pilots that will fly our new F-35s, some of the most advanced aircraft in the world.
"The contracts to support these vital training aircraft are a boost to British industry, sustaining hundreds of jobs across the UK – all made possible by our growing Defence budget and our £178 billion investment in buying and maintaining the best possible kit for our Armed Forces."
Contracts worth almost £300 million have been awarded to BAE Systems to provide in-service support and Post-Design Services for Hawk TMk1 and TMk2. The contracts include design advice and modification and obsolescence management, with the company using RAF Valley in Anglesey, Wales, as its main support service hub.
Above:
Hawk at RAF Valley.
In order to deliver the contracts, BAE Systems and its maintenance partner Babcock, has around 470 people based at RAF Valley, 65 at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire and 55 at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall. It also has 65 people based at Brough in East Riding of Yorkshire and around another 20 across its sites in Warton and Samlesbury in Lancashire.
Peter Jones, Head of Hawk UK Availability at BAE Systems said: “These contracts will allow us to continue to deliver end-to-end service for our Hawk customers. Currently we ensure that 95% of the Hawk fleet is available at any one time and we are confident in our ability to continue to deliver this. Together with our service delivery partner, Babcock, we have managed to improve the level of support service offered to our customers and reduce the costs of their Hawk fleet. These contract awards demonstrate the excellent relationship between BAE Systems and the UK Ministry of Defence.”
A £79 million contract has also been placed with Rolls-Royce to provide support for the ‘Adour’ engines which power the Hawk aircraft, with testing, repairs and overhauls taking place at RAF Valley and in Filton, Bristol sustaining 40 jobs across both sites.
The five-year MissionCare contract provides availability-based support for the two variants of Adour engine in service in the UK. The Mk951 powers the BAE Systems Hawk TMk2 Advanced Jet Trainer, the key platform in the Fast jet Pilot stream within the UK Military Flying Training System (MFTS). Hawk TMk1 aircraft, operating in a variety of training roles with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, are powered by the Adour Mk151 variant.
Under the terms of the contract Rolls-Royce will provide support to all main operating bases through its Field Service Representatives based out of RAF Valley, while repair and overhaul activities will be carried out at the Rolls-Royce facilities in Bristol and Inchinnan.
Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce, President – Defence, said: “This MissionCare contract will enable us to maximise the number of engines available to power training missions, driving higher levels of customer capability. The solution was developed in a partnered approach between Rolls-Royce and the UK Ministry of Defence, ensuring that we meet the operational needs of the training fleet while providing value for money for the UK.”
The Adour engine has been developed by the joint venture company Rolls-Royce Turbomeca in which Rolls-Royce is a 50% partner.
Director Combat Air at DE&S, the MoD’s procurement and support organisation, Air Vice Marshal Sue Gray said: "These new contracts to support our fleet of Hawk fast jets sets the support service bar higher than ever before.
"Our partners, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, will provide through-life support, including maintenance and the provision of spares, while delivering cost savings and providing a high level of aircraft availability, all of which will ensure our future fast jet pilots have the right equipment to conduct their flying training.