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Hawk
| |
| Red Arrows Hawk | |
|---|---|
| Type | Trainer/Display Aircraft |
| Manufacturer | BAE Systems |
| First Flight | 1974 |
| Users | Royal Air Force RAAF Canadian Air Force Finnish Air Force |
| Status | Active |
| Unit Cost | £18 Million |
The British Hawker Siddeley, now BAE, Hawk is a military trainer single jet aircraft and a commercial success story with over 900 built and exported to 18 countries. Famously, it is also the mount of the Red Arrows. Although first flown in 1974 it has been continuously updated and is capable of carrying a wide variety of weapons.
Relatively cheap, it has been exported to smaller countries as a light fighter and ground attack aircraft, equipped with Sidewinder AAMs, bombs and air-to-ground rockets. One such country is Zimbabwe but it is currently replacing its aging stock with Chinese-built aircraft to reduce its reliance on Western countries, for some reason.