Government responds to concerns over future of Hawk
The UK Government has admitted that further investment will be required to keep the Hawk T2 trainer aircraft in service until its originally intended out-of-service date (OSD) of 2040.
This admission forms part of the Ministry of Defence’s response to the Defence Committee’s report on Future Aviation Capabilities, published on 21 March 2025.
The Defence Committee had strongly criticised the failure to maintain sovereign production capability for the Hawk, once a mainstay of UK defence exports and fast jet pilot training. In its January report, the committee wrote:
“The Hawk trainer aircraft has been a UK defence export success story, but with domestic production lines closing four years ago the skills and manufacturing capacity which had built up over decades will prove challenging and costly to regenerate.”
“We recognise that innovative training solutions, including modular aircraft and synthetics, may offer new opportunities for industry; but we find the failure to capitalise on the success of Hawk remarkably short-sighted and deeply regrettable.”
In response, the Ministry of Defence noted that the Programme of Record for Hawk T2 had envisioned an OSD of 2040, providing sufficient time to design and develop a successor. However, it acknowledged that recent reviews had cast doubt on the viability of extending the fleet’s life without additional investment:
“It has been assessed that further investment will be required for Hawk T2 to make an OSD of 2040, and alternative options to the Programme of Record are being assessed to ensure the best outcomes for Defence.”
This suggests that the MoD is considering either upgrading the current Hawk fleet or potentially procuring a new platform altogether to fulfil the Advanced Jet Training (AJT) role.
The committee’s broader inquiry into future aviation capabilities has taken on increased urgency as the UK pushes forward with the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a next-generation fighter initiative in partnership with Japan and Italy. As GCAP moves forward, the UK will require a reliable pipeline of trained fast jet pilots—making decisions on the Hawk’s future all the more pressing.
While the Government response stops short of committing to a new platform, it leaves the door open for a review of current AJT strategy, including the role of synthetic training and international collaboration. Further announcements may be expected as part of the wider Strategic Defence Review, which is currently underway.