Hawk Refuelling

[Compass Call]

Can anybody tell me if the Bae Hawk is capable of air-to-air refuelling? If so, which marks?

[ORAC]

The Hawk 100/200 can be equipped with a detachable nose probe. The only nation I know has specified the capability is South Africa.

[Jackonicko]

The first to specify the removeable probe was Malaysia, on its Mk 208s. One was used to clear the Hawks AAR capability at Boscombe, with a VC10.

The Malay two-seaters probably don't have provision for the probes, but Omani Mk 203s reportedly do.

[ORAC]

Using a little bit of lateral thinking, ATP-56A confirms both RMAF Mk208 and SOAF Mk203 as having clearance. ;)

ATP-56A Receiver clearances (http://www.raf.mod.uk/publications/aar/Pt2/Pt2Ch10S-Tanker-ReceiverClearances.pdf)

[ET]

Hawk 209 is cleared against the C130

[osbo]

ORAC

Interesting link, but one has to ask - WTF is this kind of information doing on the web????????????????????

Pray tell???

[ORAC]

What's amusing is their inclusion of page V (http://www.raf.mod.uk/publications/aar/Prelim/PreliminariesCh00-05a-UKInsert.pdf). It does, after all, state it should be removed. ;)

What exactly do you think is classified? If you want a relaxed attitude, try thr Americans.e.g. Air Force Publishing (http://afpubs.hq.af.mil/pubs/majcom.asp?org=AF).

[Archimedes]

osbo, this appeared on the RAF site a while back, and I located it by accident. Since I read the following:

'THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HER
BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT and is issued
for the information of such persons only as need to know its
contents in the course of their official duties. Any person
finding this document should hand it to a British Forces unit
or to a police station for its safe return to the MINISTRY OF
DEFENCE, HQ SECURITY, LONDON SW1A 2HB, with
particulars of how and where found. THE
UNAUTHORISED RETENTION OR DESTRUCTION OF
THE DOCUMENT IS AN OFFENCE UNDER THE
OFFICIAL SECRETS ACTS OF 1911 TO 1939. When
released to persons outside Government service, this
document is issued on a personal basis and the recipient to
whom it is entrusted in confidence, within the provisions of
the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1939, is personally
responsible for its safe custody and for seeing that its
contents are disclosed only to authorized persons.'

I wondered whether a mistake had been made.

As I was away from my desk directory, I telephoned a certain large building of a main persuasion and enquired. The rather bored duty chappie (who sounded as though he was eating a biscuit) told me that it was all OK, since it obviously wouldn't have been released onto the web if it wasn't. I read him the above. He became less patronising and then then said 'a couple of people have phoned in about this sort of thing before, actually'. I suggested that the above ought to be removed from the wesbite if he wanted to enjoy his tea and hobnobs in peace, but clearly he didn't concur.

I presume that the MoD have decided that 'need to know' has changed in concept?? Either that or the 'can't be ar5ed to take bits out of the document' culture has arisen....

[tax pred]

127 LIF can do it...

[Ex Douglas Driver]

Not until a BAe company pilot comes down under, and does the trial flights. Later this year I think.

[STANDTO]

as any good spy will tell you,

if an a/c has a big, thickish tube stuck out the front end of it, chances are it is AAR capable.