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Old 3rd Nov 2016, 13:11
  #52 (permalink)  
andrewn
 
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Reading this thread I feel obliged to clear up a few things...

1. Brough and Broughton are totally different sites. Brough is still part of BAE Systems and has been producing parts and, in the case of some of the RAF T2's, whole aircraft which have then done a one way flight to the other BAE Systems factory at Warton for flight tests, etc
2. Broughton was, many years ago, a BAE site but is now Airbus owned and produces wings for the airbus fleet, plus some GA tenants and some remnants of what was Raytheon/Hawker Beechcraft, which at least until recently were involved in support of the RAF's Sentinel and Shadow ISTAR fleets
3. Hawk is indeed still in production with new build aircraft for the Saudis currently undergoing flight test at Warton. Might be one other small order on the books but nothing else bar the Indians (who have their own line in India)

A small RAF order for additional T2's seems sensible in many ways as it both provides a few replacements for the T1's (which cant go on forever) and throws a temporary lifeline to military aircraft manufacturing in the UK.

Interesting to see what does happen next after the swift backtracking of the "confirmed" order.
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