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RAAF ponders Hawk 127 replacement tender

6th March 2023 - 00:38 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Melbourne

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To meet its schedule to retire its Hawk 127 trainer jets, the RAAF needs to sign a procurement contract for its replacement by 2027. (Photo: Gordon Arthur)

The Defence Strategic Review may already have pushed the RAAF's efforts to find a replacement jet trainer to the right.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will retire its fleet of Hawk 127 jet trainers by 2032. To permit this, the force wants its replacement platform to enter service in 2030.

That date would require a contract for new lead-in fighter trainers (LIFT) under Project Air 6002 Phase 1 to be signed no later than 2027, an official informed Shephard.

The new platform will train both pilots and weapons system operators, serving as a bridge between the PC-21 and F-35A, EA-18G and F/A-18F combat aircraft.

An industry briefing had been scheduled for 28 February at Avalon Airshow 2023, but