Australia extends Hawk 127 contract for BAE Systems
Hawk 127 Fighter Jet at RAAF Base Pearce, Western Australia. (Photo: RAAF/Chris Kershaw)
The Hawk 127 will continue as the lead-in fighter training platform for the RAAF until 2031.
The Australian government on 21 February announced a A$1.5 billion ($1.08 billion) contract extension for BAE Systems, enabling the Hawk 127 to continue as the lead-in fighter training aircraft for the RAAF until 2031.
‘A 951 Adour engine upgrade for the Australian fleet will be incorporated by 2025 and will align the aircraft with the UK Royal Air Force’s T2 Hawk aircraft,’ BAE Systems noted in a statement.
The company will also carry on providing MRO and supply chain services, as well as progressive upgrades of mission systems on the Hawk 127.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that the RAAF fleet of 33 Hawk 127s was upgraded from 2014 to 2019, involving local firms and international companies such as CAE and Cubic.
Improvements included a simulated radar, EW, digital mapping, a ground proximity warning system and traffic collision avoidance.
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