Responses to an initial government request are due for submission by 11 September.
The UK has launched the process for eventually replacing the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) BAE Systems Hawk T2 advanced jet trainers, along with older T1-model examples flown by its Red Arrows aerobatic display team.
“The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has initiated the programme to invest in a new fast Jet Training System (JTS),” its National Armaments Director (NAD) Group says.
In a newly issued request for information (RFI), it states: “The JTS team has begun market engagement, and we are seeking industry input.
“The investment will include new jets for a modernised fast-jet training system which will also allow the Red Arrows to replace the ageing Hawk [T1] aircraft,” the defence procurement body says. It notes that the 2030 out-of-service date for the team’s current aged assets is “rapidly approaching”.
The main part of the requirement will be to acquire replacements for a 28-strong fleet of Hawk T2s which are operated from RAF Valley on Anglesey, north Wales.
“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 NAD Group says.
Responses to the RFI must be submitted by 11 September.
No details are included regarding the next programme steps or how many aircraft could be purchased. Speaking ahead of the Farnborough air show, industry sources said they expected a formal request for proposals to be issued later this year.
Interest in the JTS programme had already spiked following the release of the MoD’s Defence Investment Plan on 30 June. That document detailed a financial commitment of £360 million ($485 million) until the end of this decade against “full recapitalisation of the jet training system”.
Considerable extra funding will also be involved, however, with a deal likely to be worth around £2 billion to cover acquisition and support activities over an initial 10 to 15 years, sources suggest.
The high level of interest in the JTS opportunity was evident during the recent Farnborough air show, where multiple likely contenders were promoted.
Boeing’s T-7A Red Hawk was on view as a full-scale model taking pride of place outside BAE’s major exhibit area. The UK company during the show formalised an industrial pact with T-7 development partners Boeing and Saab – first announced last November – to lead an offer of the single-engined type for RAF use.
Their agreement “commits to a new UK-based final assembly and integration facility”, the location of which has yet to be determined.
BAE says the T-7’s “adaptable design will allow the platform and simulators to evolve alongside future aircraft and mission requirements, supporting the RAF as it prepares for future combat air capability, including sixth-generation platforms”.
Rival bids are expected from Korea Aerospace Industries with its T-50, Leonardo’s M-346, and the Turkish Aerospace Hurjet, with those companies all having promoted their systems at Farnborough.
One challenge facing all of the expected bidders will be to incorporate additional UK-produced systems and equipment into their offerings to increase local value beyond in-country final assembly. The NAD Group notes that the programme will contain “a significant UK workshare”, without elaborating.
Data from aviation analytics company Cirium shows that the RAF still has 16 operational Hawk T1s, with those jets aged up to 49 years, while its T2-model trainers are between 13 and 17 years old. Operations with the younger type have been hampered by engine reliability issues over the last several years.
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