UK issues request for information on Hawk replacement
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a request for information (RFI) to replace the Hawk advanced jet trainer in Royal Air Force (RAF) service, according to Janes. The RFI, released earlier in August 2026 under the Jet Training System (JTS) programme, calls for industry engagement on plans to replace the remaining BAE Systems Hawk T1 aircraft used by the Red Arrows aerobatic display team and the 28 Hawk T2 training aircraft in the early 2030s.
The MoD said the JTS will be designed to support the transition to fifth- and sixth-generation air systems, ensuring UK pilots are equipped with the skills needed for modern and future combat environments. "The JTS team has begun market engagement, and we are seeking industry input," the ministry added. No further details were disclosed, except that industry bids should include "significant UK workshare". Interested vendors have until 11 September 2026 to respond to the RFI.
According to Janes, BAE Systems has declared its intent to bid the T-7A Red Hawk alongside Boeing and Saab, while Leonardo is to bid the M-346 Master, Lockheed Martin with the TF-50, and Turkish Aerospace with the Hürjet. A proposed bid by Aeralis was ended when the UK company went into administration in May 2026.
Background and industrial context
The Hawk, originally the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, entered service in 1976, with the T1 variant used by the Red Arrows since 1979, when it replaced the Folland Gnat, according to Simple Flying. The Hawk T2, which entered service in 2009, features upgraded avionics, a glass cockpit, mission computers, and a head-up display. It is used both by the RAF and the Royal Navy as an advanced jet trainer.
A recent British Government report published in the House of Commons Library notes that the four-year Defence Investment Plan (DIP) commits to funding for the replacement of the Red Arrows Hawk T1. The DIP states that the UK will "deliver both sovereign and international training and with a significant UK workshare." It also highlights that BAE Systems' Hawk production line in Brough, UK, shuttered in 2020, leaving the UK with no sovereign industrial capability for manufacturing fast-jet training aircraft.
The report indicates that the British trainer industry has contracted, making it difficult to produce a truly British replacement aircraft. This development underscores not only Britain's decline in fully designing and producing aircraft domestically, but also its transformation into a major supplier of high-value aerospace technologies. According to Simple Flying, Britain has pivoted from being primarily an aircraft-system integrator and complete-aircraft producer to a provider of systems, engines, structures, and intellectual property embedded in aircraft designed and assembled elsewhere. Examples include Rolls-Royce engines and LiftFan systems, Martin-Baker ejection seats, and BAE avionics, electronic warfare, mission systems, and major aircraft structures.
The same report notes that British components and intellectual property are present in many Western aircraft, such as the Saab Gripen, the F-35, and the Boeing 787, though the exact percentages vary by counting method. Britain's overall share of the commercial aerospace sector is estimated at around 10% to 15%.
Competitors and industrial implications
The JTS requirement comes with a commitment in the DIP published on 30 June 2026, according to Janes. BAE, Boeing, and Saab are expected to offer a version of the T-7 Red Hawk, a partnership between Boeing and Saab. BAE CEO Charles Woodburn has said that the offer aligns with the ambition of the Defence Investment Plan while strengthening the UK's sovereign industrial capability, as reported by Simple Flying. The aircraft would incorporate flying with advanced simulations and prepare pilots for the RAF's Typhoons, F-35s, and the future GCAP/Tempest sixth-generation fighter jet.
Leonardo is to offer the M-346 Master, Lockheed Martin with the TF-50, and Turkish Aerospace with the Hürjet. The T-7 is expected to reach initial operational capability in the United States Air Force in 2027.
A proposed bid by British start-up Aeralis was ended when the company went into administration in May 2026 due to cash flow problems and delays to the DIP, according to Simple Flying. It never produced a flying prototype, only scale models.
The MoD has not disclosed details on timeline for a decision, but interested vendors have until 11 September 2026 to respond to the RFI.
Background: The Red Arrows and industrial shifts
The Red Arrows, based at RAF Waddington, previously flew the Folland Gnat before receiving the Hawk T1 in 1979. The aircraft were built at RAF Bitteswell in Leicestershire. The T1 aircraft are scheduled to be retired by the end of 2020s.
Britain's industrial capability in fast-jet trainer manufacture has diminished since the Brough line closed. As reported, the UK has moved from being primarily an aircraft-system integrator and complete-aircraft producer to being a major supplier of aerospace systems, engines, structures, and intellectual property. The share of commercial aerospace sector is estimated historically at around 10 to 17 percent, according to Simple Flying, depending on what is counted.
A comparison of trainer aircraft in use elsewhere highlights the mix: the US Air Force's Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a license-built trainer derived from the Swiss Pilatus PC-9, while Northrop's T-38 Talon is a wholly US-design aircraft, and the US Navy's T-45 Goshawk is a highly modified version of the British Hawk. In the US Navy's T-45 replacement contest, Boeing and Lockheed Martin dropped out, leaving Textron and Sierra Nevada Corporation as finalists.