HAL & BAE to build more Hawks

BAE Systems image

28 July 2010

India is to get more Hawk trainers.
 

July 28: BAE Systems has secured a new £500 million (€601 million) order with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to supply enable a further 57 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft to be built under licence in India for the Indian Air Force (40 aircraft) and Indian Navy (17 aircraft).

The aircraft will be manufactured under licence at HAL’s facilities in Bangalore with BAE Systems providing specialist engineering services, raw materials and equipment. With an eye on future sales, BAE Systems Group Managing Director, Programmes and Support, Nigel Whitehead said “The Hawk AJT fast jet training solution enables an Air Force or Navy to provide front line pilots for even the most modern fighter aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon or Sukhoi SU-30.”

BAE Systems is already working with HAL and Rolls-Royce to supply 66 Hawk aircraft to the Indian Air Force - this additional order will extend the current partnership for a further six years. In the original order a total of 24 UK-built and 42 HAL-built examples were ordered, with deliveries of the first four aircraft taking place in November and December 2007 with the final Warton-built aircraft arriving in India in October 2009. The first HAL-built aircraft was handed over on August 14, 2008 to the Flying Training School at Bidar.

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