2006 GETS OFF TO A FLYING START FOR BAE SYSTEMS HAWK FOR INDIA PROGRAMME

BAE Systems Hawk development aircraft ZJ100 has been modified to fit the Hawk MK132 avionics equipment necessary for development flight trials commencing this month. These flight tests are part of BAE Systems' Hawk for India programme in which India has ordered 66 Hawk advanced jet trainers. Of these, 24 are being supplied by BAE Systems ‘ready to fly', six will be delivered in kits and 42 built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) of Bangalore, from raw materials supplied by BAE Systems.

Customer specific avionics equipment for the MK132 has been supplied by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and has been integrated into ZJ100, where internal structural changes have been made to the aircraft to accommodate elements of the equipment installation.

ZJ100's intensive in-flight testing of this equipment will continue throughout the first quarter of 2006 focusing on the new systems which are monitored carefully to ensure they have been satisfactorily integrated, perform separately and together before the first production aircraft (HT001) flies in 2007.

Throughout the programme BAE Systems is working closely with both HAL and the IAF in both the UK and in India. Currently there are four Indian Air Force Officers of the IAF Hawk Project team at the BAE Systems site at Brough in the UK supporting the programme. They have been at the site since March 2005 and will be there for a total of three years, until the last aircraft is delivered in the first quarter 2008. A HAL Resident In-plant Representative has recently taken up his position at Brough.

Around 300 HAL employees will also be visiting the site over the next two years to receive manufacturing training. Courses 1, 2 and 3 have already been completed and Course 4 is due to start in April. At the BAE Systems Warton site, some 100 IAF technicians and officers will undergo ground school training in 2007 with 12 IAF and 2 HAL pilots undertaking flight training on the Hawk Mk132.

In India there will be up to some 20 BAE Systems employees based in Bangalore to provide technical on-site assistance to HAL.

In order for HAL to carry out the licensed production of 42 Mk132 Hawks more than 3,000 tools will be sent to Bangalore. Four consignments of this equipment have already been delivered to HAL the most recent of these (which consisted of 4 sea freight Shipping Containers) was shipped at the end of 2005.

The first shipment of raw material and kit sets has also taken place with a second due to take place this month. This second shipment will contain some 100 tons raw materials for ten aircraft. All tooling and material deliveries will be delivered by the end of 2006.

Mike Swales, BAE Systems Head of Offshore Logistics explains: "The licence build contract is a massive logistical task for the Hawk team. It is some time since we have been involved in a programme of this complexity'.

In addition to the supply of Hawk aircraft, BAE Systems is also providing India with an interim flying training facility for its pilots in which up to 75 pilots will be trained at RAF Valley in the UK on Hawk over three years. This month saw the arrival of the seventh group for ground school training. To date the training has been very successful with the first of three groups graduating in 2005. The capabilities of the Indian Air Force graduates returning from the UK has allowed the IAF to post pilots onto Jaguar, Mirage 2000 and directly to fly the IAF's latest front line aircraft, the SU30.