UK to retire BAe 146 aircraft in 2022
A BAe 146 C Mk 3 aircraft at RAF Brize Norton. (Photo: MoD/ Crown Copyright.)
Operated from RAF Northolt by 32 squadron, the BAe 146 is primarily tasked with Command Support Air Transport roles.
The UK RAF will retire its fleet of four BAe 146 aircraft on 31 March 2022.
The date was confirmed by UK Minister for Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin in response to a parliamentary question.
Quin said: ‘The current fleet of four BAe 146 aircraft are planned to be retired from service on 31 March 2022.
‘Replacements for those aircraft are currently under consideration as part of normal capability planning but no decisions have been made.’
2022 is when an existing In-Service Support Availability Contract with Serco will run out.
The UK’s BAe 146 fleet consists of two BAe 146-100s designated as the BAe 146 CC Mk2 and two BAe 146-200QC (Quick Change) variants with a large freight door in the rear fuselage.
BAE Systems converted the latter aircraft and delivered them to the RAF in 2013 when they were designated as the BAe 146 C Mk3.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Air Warfare
-
![Poland air focus: $8.27 billion UAV market highlights value of long-term supplier relationships]()
Poland air focus: $8.27 billion UAV market highlights value of long-term supplier relationships
Poland’s growing investment in UAVs highlights how recurring procurement contracts and continuous technological development can provide suppliers with sustained opportunities beyond initial acquisitions.
-
![Saab’s flight-tested AI agents signal new era of crewed-uncrewed fighter systems]()
Saab’s flight-tested AI agents signal new era of crewed-uncrewed fighter systems
Saab is developing artificial intelligence (AI) agents for crewed and uncrewed aircraft, targeting potential operational deployment within months, while expanding its training capabilities, partnerships and ambitions for wider military applications.
-
![October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age]()
October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age
Israel’s $1 billion Apache helicopter order highlights the continued demand for crewed attack aviation, while growing integration with uncrewed systems could shape future modernisation and procurement decisions.
-
![US Navy keeps Super Hornet production restart option open, but without defined cost or timetable]()
US Navy keeps Super Hornet production restart option open, but without defined cost or timetable
The US Navy plans to preserve Super Hornet and Growler tooling as production winds down, with restart costs unassessed and final F/A-18 deliveries expected in late 2027.
-
![Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence]()
Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence
The rise of drones has reshaped the threat landscape for all European militaries. For industry, future defensive strategies must carefully balance a mix of passive and active measures to address the evolving danger, based around a highly integrated and responsive network of sensors and effectors.
-
![October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges]()
October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges
Recent procurement developments in France and Lithuania highlight the growing demand for loitering munitions, with global annual spending forecast to increase nearly 50-fold between 2020 and 2029.
