MoD commits £372m for Hawk training aircraft, securing 700 jobs

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has invested £372 million across four contracts to enable the continued support of Hawk fast jet training aircraft, which is expected to secure around 700 UK jobs until 2020.

The fleet of Hawk TMk1 and TMk2 aircraft are allowing the UK Armed Forces to train in military flying before operating frontline fast jet aircraft such as the Typhoon or F35 Lightning II. The contracts will span over five years and will provide a range of services to the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force’s Hawk aircraft at bases in Wales, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Somerset and Cornwall.

Philip Dunne, MoD Procurement, said: “The Hawk is a world-class training aircraft for our future fast jet aircrew. Pilots currently flying Typhoons and Tornados with such precision targeting ISIL in Iraq and Syria to keep Britain safe first learnt their skills in the Hawk. It will also be used to train the pilots that will fly our new F-35s, some of the most advanced aircraft in the world.

“The contracts to support these vital training aircraft are a boost to British industry, sustaining hundreds of jobs across the UK – all made possible by our growing defence budget and our £178 billion investment in buying and maintaining the best possible kit for our Armed Forces.”