BAES has been awarded an initial £ 74 million contract by the
Ministry of Defence to support the Hawk TMk1/1A aircraft of the RAF and
RN. The Hawk Integrated Operational Support (IOS) contract will ensure
that agreed numbers of sorties can be carried out through to 2011,
guaranteeing aircraft availability for training.
RAF
Valley, RAF Leeming and RNAS Culdrose will be supported directly by
BAES and Babcock Defence Services who currently carry out all Hawk
maintenance.
The support service will provide fleet
and supply chain management, forward and depth maintenance, and
technical support.
Also a spares availability service will be provided to RAF
Scampton for the Red Arrows, and to MoD Boscombe Down.
Hunters Still Active
Norman De Viell reports that a civilian contractor,
Airborne Tactical Advantage Co (ATAC) of Newport News, Virginia,
operates two former Swiss Air Force Hunter Mk 58s.
Currently they are in Japan on a twelve month US Navy contract
providing airborne threat simulations for training shipboard and
aircraft squadron weapon systems operators.
He also reported that a firm in Delaware has leased six Hunters to the USAF for similar duties.
