All Hawk T1s will be gone by 31 March 2022

[langleybaston]

Gracious me! Looks younger than my 22 y o rugger-bugger grandson.

I'll have some of what he's on!

[Cat Techie]

Originally Posted by Asturias56

"Would be nice to have 8 Saab Drakens based at Teesside"

and if they were 2 seaters they could handle all the passenger traffic as well...............

That is so funny. Drakens into LHR. Paint some union flags on them as well.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

What’s happening with the Red Air contract, it’s all gone particularly quiet? 100 Sqn Sqn have already folded.

[DuckDodgers]

Originally Posted by Foghorn Leghorn

What’s happening with the Red Air contract, it’s all gone particularly quiet? 100 Sqn Sqn have already folded.

Good question, I presume it is still a thing? Read elsewhere that there are some interesting developments with ACC too.

[Sideshow Bob]

Originally Posted by Foghorn Leghorn

What’s happening with the Red Air contract, it’s all gone particularly quiet? 100 Sqn Sqn have already folded.

https://www.baesystems.com/en-uk/art...k-s-hawk-fleet
BAe awarded contract to provide depth maintenance. I guess there's now plenty of spare A/C for reduce to produce!

[1.3VStall]

Remember the good old days when the RAF's in-house engineering capability maintained all its fleets at every level from the flight line to Majors? These days the Service is incapable of keeping gliders and motor gliders in an airworthy condition, so it's probably sensible to outsource depth maintenance to BAE Systems. Some call it progress!

[teeonefixer]

The HIOS contracts have been in place since 2007 (the first with incentivised payments) and the team at Valley picked up a lot of local servicemen (especially the AEDIT guys who formed the core of the technical team) plus some from the management & support team at Salmesbury and DO (Brough). Babcocks (the Pt.M) were already in place from the previous "privatisation". It was certainly a cost-saving measure and the individuals involved were really committed to providing full support to the fleet. However, I wonder if contracts got in the way at times.

[teej013]

SB, Just read the blurb from BAe after following your link. The last Paragraph is a bit curious:

"As part of the contract, BAE Systems and Babcock will also carry out depth maintenance to the Hawk TMk1 aircraft flown by the Red Arrows from RAF Valley, ensuring the team continues to represent the speed, agility and precision of the RAF at air shows across the globe. "

Does this mean that the Reds will be moving to Valley now?

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Originally Posted by DuckDodgers

Good question, I presume it is still a thing? Read elsewhere that there are some interesting developments with ACC too.

ACC - Air Combat Command, USAF?

[CAEBr]

[size=16px]Does this mean that the Reds will be moving to Valley now?[/size]

No, its just a poorly written way of saying that the depth maintenance will be delivered by the BAeS/Babcock team out of Valley.

[teej013]

Reread, Understood, Cheers CAEBr...

[RAFEngO74to09]

MOD invests £695 million in Hawk training jets and Red Arrows | Royal Air Force

[teeonefixer]

The RAF website contains news of the Red Air adversary training contract, signed 28th March, for an initial three year period with potential extension to six years:
https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/ne ... squadrons/

[GeeRam]

Originally Posted by teeonefixer

The RAF website contains news of the Red Air adversary training contract, signed 28th March, for an initial three year period with potential extension to six years:
https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/ne ... squadrons/

And announced pretty much at the same time as its announced in the USA that Draken Int's contract for Red Air at Nellis is not being renewed after June this year.

So the statement on the RAF website of "This is the first such contract for medium to fast air capability placed in the UK, although a similar service is currently being delivered by Draken International to the United States Air Force." is technically correct at time of writing......but not by the time Draken's contract in the UK starts....

Are the two linked or has Draken's contract in the USA not been renewed for a reason(s) that might now make the MOD giving them the contract a bit questionable, when or if that reason ever comes to be known?

Answers on a postcard to the usual address.....

[KPax]

All seems a bit strange to me as all the Hawk T1's are in storage in Shropshire, how are they getting to Valley to be taken apart, by road?

[teeonefixer]

Road transport is the usual way. 71(IR) Sqn are happy to use the Hawk as training as it is such a straightforward airframe.

[Harold77]

Originally Posted by GeeRam

And announced pretty much at the same time as its announced in the USA that Draken Int's contract for Red Air at Nellis is not being renewed after June this year.

So the statement on the RAF website of "This is the first such contract for medium to fast air capability placed in the UK, although a similar service is currently being delivered by Draken International to the United States Air Force." is technically correct at time of writing......but not by the time Draken's contract in the UK starts....

Are the two linked or has Draken's contract in the USA not been renewed for a reason(s) that might now make the MOD giving them the contract a bit questionable, when or if that reason ever comes to be known?

Answers on a postcard to the usual address.....

The US contract loss is because the US are starting to take some bits back in house.

[DuckDodgers]

Originally Posted by GeeRam

And announced pretty much at the same time as its announced in the USA that Draken Int's contract for Red Air at Nellis is not being renewed after June this year.

So the statement on the RAF website of "This is the first such contract for medium to fast air capability placed in the UK, although a similar service is currently being delivered by Draken International to the United States Air Force." is technically correct at time of writing......but not by the time Draken's contract in the UK starts....

Are the two linked or has Draken's contract in the USA not been renewed for a reason(s) that might now make the MOD giving them the contract a bit questionable, when or if that reason ever comes to be known?

Answers on a postcard to the usual address.....

Final year of a 5 year IDIQ not being executed, Nellis as a Task Order location not being competed under CAF CAS. ACC taking note of Congressional direction to return Aggressors in-house at Nellis with increase to organic capability. Link to reactivation of the 65th with the Block 42 aircraft formerly of 24th TASS. From memory, the 64th usually have 19 Block 25/32 PAA which generate around 4,750hrs per year, the ADAIR II contract was around 5,000hrs. The 65th should, again from memory, have 11 Block 42 PAA which would generate around 2,750hrs, these aircraft are also earmarked for APG-83 insertion and post software upgrade can accept IRST and other special effectors. Add in whatever happens with the early LRIP F-35As, another 2,000hrs+, then whatever the 117s continue to provide as required, and you've probably got a very good explanation as to why ACC has not enacted the final year of the 5 year IDIQ.

[Cat Techie]

Originally Posted by Harold77

The US contract loss is because the US are starting to take some bits back in house.

And the MoD are outsourcing now. Quite simple to understand. Those that have been in the civvy world for some time have an understanding of civilian companies general reaction to downsizing. No notice pay. Got it once, wasn't offered it last time. The real world.

[dctyke]

Interesting, a black 100sqn hawk has just flown over my house (Yorkshire Wolds) north to south 1125hrs. Thought it was over for them now?

edit, unless valley hawks are black, if so I take it back!