All Hawk T1s will be gone by 31 March 2022
Very interesting stuff this nonetheless and I suspect it’s about to get more interesting when we see who enters the arena to have a go at winning the contract and what platform they’re going to offer, flying from which base.
Watching a 100sqn Hawk doing its stuff over my house as they have for the last twenty years. When they stop is that the end of RAF Staxton Wold which is just down the road? I’m surprised it’s stayed open this long when all the other radar sites have gone. Especially now Linton on Ouse has all but packed up.
dctyke,
Staxton Wold is an air defence radar station, nothing whatsoever to do with RAF Linton On Ouse or the 100 Sqn Hawks at Leeming.
All of the air defence radar stations have not gone, they are all still there.
Staxton Wold is an air defence radar station, nothing whatsoever to do with RAF Linton On Ouse or the 100 Sqn Hawks at Leeming.
All of the air defence radar stations have not gone, they are all still there.
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Its a great shout, I’m not sure. There’s the obvious candidates like Draken and Top Aces? Air USA as an outside chance?
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I must admit I’m really surprised by the timeline, given current contract executions will any of the likely players be able to bid? Has BAE played a blinder and secured the Omani Hawk mk203s?
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Even if they did secure those Hawks, they have to be able to deliver the training starting Summer 22. The speed of which means it’s probably a company with aircraft already. It’s going to be an interesting few months.
It would be slightly amusing if no companies bid for it.....
Every company will bid for it but the bid will be carefully worded so that there is plenty of opportunity to charge for the inevitable "extra's" at cost plus. Like usual when contracting out, the government will get less service for more money....
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im sure there are bases that would take a small fleet of aircraft and if imagine getting people to fly them won’t be an issue. The CAA or MAA compliance issue will be the most interesting part.
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I think the wider issue will be the ability to find and then fly aircraft under either the CAA or MAA framework in such a short space of time. Never mind the small print in the contract!
And more so with any of the foreign types largely unknown to either CAA/MAA and operated by the likes of ATAC, Top Aces, Blue Air, Air USA, Draken etc (Kfir, Mirage F1, A4 Skyhawk, Cheetah's and F-5's) operated by these companies in the USA.
ATAC do have quite a number of Hunters though which they may well be keen to offload given the newer types taken on board since they first acquired the Hunters.
They are getting on a bit now though, hence why the US based firms have now moved to plentiful supply of various Mirage types and the F-5.
Hawks?
Judging by Freedom of Information requests on the subject, at least one company has been anticipating this requirement for at least two years and knows exactly why Hawk is leaving service. MoD stopped answering the requests in July 2020. Probably because it was asked for the (non-existent) Air System Safety Case.
ATAC were supposed to be buying the RAAF F-18's but thats gone dark, haven't seen anything official but seems anyone with any knowledge has said the deal is off
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Could it be possible for Hawker Hunter Aviation at RAF Scampton to make a bid? I believe they currently fly two Hunter F.58's and a T.72 for threat simulation and trials work already. Plus they have a Buccaneer, SU22 and Phantom waiting for a suitable contract too....