The UK Ministry of Defence has opened consultations with industry over a new fleet of jet trainers for the Royal Air Force.
The UK Ministry of Defence has opened consultations with industry over a new fleet of jet trainers for the Royal Air Force (RAF), UK Defence Journal reported.
Part of a modernized fast-jet training system, the new aircraft will also replace the Red Arrows’ Hawk T1s, which are scheduled to leave service in 2030.
The future system is expected to prepare pilots for fifth- and sixth-generation combat aircraft and include a substantial share of work for British industry.
Companies have until September 11, 2026, to register their interest and outline how they could contribute.
The consultation is an information-gathering exercise and does not yet represent a formal competition or commitment to purchase aircraft.
The market consultation follows a teaming agreement signed earlier last month between BAE Systems, Boeing, and Saab to propose a UK training system based on the T-7 advanced jet trainer.
Their proposal combines aircraft with ground-based simulators to help pilots progress to frontline platforms such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35.
Hawk T1
The UK-built Hawk T1 entered RAF service in 1976 as an advanced trainer and has been flown by the Red Arrows since 1979.
Its wider RAF service largely ended when No. 100 Squadron retired the aircraft in March 2022, leaving the display team as its principal operator.
Powered by a Rolls-Royce Adour turbofan, the aircraft measures 11.9 meters (39 feet) in length and has a wingspan of 9.4 meters (31 feet).
It has a listed range of around 1,000 nautical miles (1,852 kilometers/1,151 miles) and a maximum operating altitude of 48,000 feet (14,630 meters).
