UK firm wins jet contract
The BAE Systems Hawk 128 aircraft will be used to train pilots of the future following a Ministry of Defence decision to
order 20 of the jets.
Subject to the successful completion of contractual negotiations, 20 aircraft will be bought with options to buy up to
another 24. The full deal is expected to be worth about £800m.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon called the Hawk 128 an excellent aircraft. "It is the right choice for training the pilots
of our future advanced fighter jets and the right decision for our defence industrial capability," he said.
"This is excellent news for BAE Systems, its employees at the Brough factory on Humberside, where Hawk 128 will be
designed and built, and for the several hundred people involved in the UK supply chain for the aircraft."
"The future sales prospects for Hawk are extremely bright and I hope this decision will encourage other potential
customers to place their orders."
The MoD also intends to contract for a support package for the new aircraft.