Over the next 11 years, £695m will be invested by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to support the RAF’s fleet of Hawk T2s and the Hawk T1s operated by the Red Arrows.
Placed by the MOD’s procurement organisation, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the investment comprises of two segments. A contract with BAE Systems will be invested into the Hawk T2 fleet and will cover all airframe support elements, this with a value of £590m. A separate contract worth £105m has been placed with Rolls-Royce for engine support.
Following this investment, hundreds of jobs at the home of RAF fast jet pilot training, RAF Valley in Anglesey will be supported and secured. A fleet of 28 Hawk T2s currently operate out of the base in North Wales on behalf of the UK Military Flying Training System, (UK MFTS) programme.
The UK MFTS provides the fleet of aircraft, synthetics and training facilities to train pilots who will go on to operate RAF front line jets such as, the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 and the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning.
Defence Procurement Minister, Jeremy Quin, said: "This contract will provide aircraft support to maintain the delivery of pilot training and the Red Arrows long into the future. It underlines our commitment to providing the highest quality training and aircraft to the future pilots of our Armed Forces."
