Jackson, James BAE Systems Hawk

A Complete History

The Hawk made its maiden flight just over 50 years ago and ranks among the most significant British aircraft of the post-war era. More than 20,000 pilots worldwide have trained on the Hawk. Moreover, it was the last military aircraft to be developed entirely in Britain; with over 800 units exported or manufactured abroad, it became one of the British aerospace industry's most successful products. Its adoption by the US Navy also contributed to this sales successa welcome breakthrough into the American market. Although production ceased in 2022, many aircraft are expected to remain in service for at least several more decades; currently, at least 540 units remain active worldwide. This book chronicles the history of the Hawks development and operational careerfrom the initial design studies of 1968 and the contenders for the ASR.397 specification, through the flight-test program and the development of export variants (the Mark 50, 60, and 100 series), to the Hawk 200 and the Goshawk. Drawing on official archival records, the book sheds light on the political and technical background of its export success, including ambitious undertakings such as "Project Defender" in Iraq and various Hawk development projects that never progressed beyond the drawing board.