Originally Posted by
melmothtw
The Hawk T2 cockpit is designed to be representative of the Eurofighter and other 4th Gen types. For 5th Gen, the MFD-cockpit can be replaced by a large area display that was developed for the Indians and which I believe the Finns are taking up as they transition to the F-35. What else would make an improved version of the Hawk unsuitable?
No FCS, no soft wing / high AOA capability, terrible engine, terrible cockpit ergonomics, high cockpit noise. That about covers the LIMFACs for Hawk as an advanced trainer in the 2020s and beyond. Sure, you can polish the turd by putting in a fancy screen, but you need a reason to have that screen. No point having it if all you can do is display a SENSIM and pseudo-datalink.
Now if you were smart and looking at replacing the advanced trainer with something that could perform a red air role too, you'd need L16, radar, AAR, supersonic capability and a jammer, but that all costs money and that's something HMG isn't too keen to spend on capability in the short term. Much better to pay more over the long term for a significantly reduced output... Maybe I'm just being cynical, but this is not something I see us getting right in the future either.