Red Arrow Hawks to to display in Goa, India

BY A CORRESPONDENT
May 19, 2006

The Red Arrows, Britain's crack aerobatic team, will paint the sky red, white and blue, over Goa, as part of the BAE Systems sponsored Eastern Arrow tour of India, the Middle East and Europe. The Red Arrows rely on the BAE Systems Hawk, the world's premier advanced jet trainer, to carry out a demanding series of spectacular flying displays worldwide.

The breath taking 22-minute long performance will take place in Goa on Tuesday 23rd May.

Under the command of Squadron Leader Dicky Patounas, Eastern Arrow will also see the team displaying in Jordan, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Greece.

"We are very honoured to have been invited to display in Goa," said Sqd Ldr Patounas. "The Red Arrows are ambassadors of the Royal Air Force and Great Britain and we aim to demonstrate UK excellence wherever we display. Our display is the product of highly skilled people in the air and on the ground and a reliable, easy to manoeuvre aircraft in the shape of the BAE Systems Hawk."

On behalf of BAE Systems, Hawk sales director Mike Rudd said, "The BAE Systems Hawk and the Red Arrows are inextricably linked and synonymous with excellence. As India is one of many customers to have selected Hawk to meet its advanced jet training requirements, it is totally appropriate for the Red Arrows to display the unique characteristics of the world's most
successful fast jet trainer. With the lowest acquisition and operating costs of all aircraft in its class, and the cutting edge technology of its on-board systems and supporting ground based training environment, Hawk is ideally suited for next generation fighter training."

Today's new generation Hawk has been selected to meet the UK Royal Air Force's (RAF) demanding requirements to train pilots for next generation combat aircraft such as Typhoon and the F-35 JSF. From the outside, the new variant of Hawk looks similar to those flown by the Red Arrows but the reality is that they are very different aircraft. Only the cockpit canopy
and air brake remain the same. With a cockpit centred on three multi-function displays and a host of avionics and system enhancements, the Hawk will offer the ideal 'digital' training environment for student pilots destined to fly the next generation of front line combat aircraft.

In addition to India, the latest Hawk variants have been selected by the Royal Australian Air Force, South Africa and Bahrain and form the heart of the world's most advanced military pilot training systems. Graduates from Hawk move effortlessly onto flying the very latest front line fighters such as the Sukohi 30, Typhoon, Gripen, and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Hawk's outstanding performance, high reliability, ease of maintenance and through-life support have all been proven in-service resulting in low life-cycle costs and have been key factors in generating repeat orders from existing operators, including the Royal Air Force.

Winner of the last five major competitions for advanced jet training aircraft, the BAE Systems' Hawk attracts a high level of interest from prospective customers worldwide, ensuring that the world's best selling advanced jet trainer will continue to fly high for years to come.

In addition to BAE SYSTEMS, the Red Arrows Eastern Arrow tour is supported by the UK's Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO), Rolls Royce and VT Group.

BAE Systems is the premier transatlantic defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With more than 100,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded GB £15.4 billion (US$28 billion) in 2005.