Sharper Claws

New upgrades for the RAAF’s Hawk 127 lead-in fighter trainers

Last in the line of British-made military aircraft, and from the stable that produced the iconic Hurricane and Hunter no less, BAE Systems’ Hawk has found broad and enduring success since its first flight in 1974.

Entering Australian service in 2001, the Hawk 127 fleet is about to undergo a comprehensive systems upgrade that will ensure its relevance as an advanced training platform as the RAAF’s fighter force yields to generational change in the form of the F-35.