The Hawk 127 lead-in fighter is operated by Number 76 Squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown near Newcastle, and Number 79 Squadron at RAAF Base Pearce near Perth.
The Hawk prepares qualified Air Force pilots for conversion to:
- F-35A Lightning II
- F/A-18F Super Hornet
- EA-18G Growler.
Pilots complete a 14 week Introductory Fighter Course at RAAF Base Pearce with the Hawk, which includes:
- general flying
- instrument flying
- formation flying
- night flying
- navigation.
Graduates then progress to a 20 week course at RAAF Base Williamtown for air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons training.
The aircraft also prepares Weapon System Operators (WSO) for conversion to the F/A-18F Super Hornet and Electronic Warfare Officers (EWO) for conversion to the EA-18G Growler.
The Hawk is a low-wing, all-metal aircraft. It is fitted with a navigation and attack system, and is powered by a single Adour Mk 871 turbofan engine.
Key features include:
- an integrated avionics system
- two display and mission computers
- hands-on-throttle-and-stick controls in each cockpit
- heads-up display in the front cockpit and multi-function displays in both cockpits.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | BAE Systems |
|---|---|
| Role | Lead-in fighter training |
| Crew |
|
| Length | 11.95m |
| Height | 4.1m |
| Wing span | 9.39m |
| Weight | 5,443kg |
| Engines | Single Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk 871 |
| Range | 1,207km |
| Ceiling | 50,000 feet |
| Max speed | 1065km/h (Mach 1.2) |
| Capacity |
|
| Weapons |
|