Red Arrows Hawks to be replaced by F16s!

Red Arrows Hawks to be replaced by F16s!

Author
Discussion

onyx39

Original Poster:

11,109 posts

149 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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According to the Wail. I would be amazed, apparently the Hawks need replacing in 2020. Personally I would rather disband the team than use 2nd yank aircraft! I thought it was about British excellence in flying AND aircraft manufacture. I am hopeful it's the usual wail

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

260 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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It's complete rubbish. There just might, possibly, be some mild interest in getting some old F16s if they were going very very cheap, but if so there would be much better things to do with them than equip the Red Arrows.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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No chance of that at all. The F-16 would be a lot more expensive to maintain and operate. I think it must be a case of misreporting.

Operating a fleet of a dozen aircraft of a type that none of your ground crew or pilots have any experience of, does not make any sense.

Could you imagine the cost of retraining ground crew, pilots, and setting up supply/ maintenance contracts for a bespoke fleet of aircraft?

The only logical choice is the Hawk T2, or perhaps the turboprop Tucano replacement.

HarryW

15,150 posts

268 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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Now if they moved to F18's they could double up for use on the new aircraft carrier.......

FourWheelDrift

88,382 posts

283 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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biggrin


anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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HarryW said:
Now if they moved to F18's they could double up for use on the new aircraft carrier.......
If only the carriers could be fitted with a catapult. IMHO it would have been a better, more proven and cheaper aircraft than the compromised and expensive F-35.

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

260 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Is there a less proven and more expensive aircraft that the F35?

prg123

1,303 posts

162 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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I would love to see them use Tornados, I think they look amazing

- Pete

FunkyNige

8,859 posts

274 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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FourWheelDrift said:
biggrin

Quite like that!
If the Red Arrows did have to change from the Hawks, what else is there about they could be replaced with? I can't think of anything that small and relatively cheap to run.

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

260 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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Plenty of Gnats still about. Hunters would look good. Alpha jets maybe?

davepoth

29,395 posts

198 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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FunkyNige said:
Quite like that!
If the Red Arrows did have to change from the Hawks, what else is there about they could be replaced with? I can't think of anything that small and relatively cheap to run.
Historically it's been the RAF's fast jet trainer. That's currently the Hawk. If they wanted to replace those, the Hawk is still being produced. But there are quite a few fast jet trainers on the market.




CAFEDEAD

222 posts

114 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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Not sure if those Scorpions touted as being cheaper jets are suitable. Are Hawks not going to be used for fast jet training either then?

TorqueVR

1,838 posts

198 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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Pay attention at the back please!

There is no proposal to replace them with F16s. One(just one)officer has raised it as a suggestion. No more than that. It's non-story

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

260 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
quotequote all
TorqueVR said:
Pay attention at the back please!

There is no proposal to replace them with F16s. One(just one)officer has raised it as a suggestion. No more than that. It's non-story
We're way ahead of you, that's why we are discussing (not too seriously) what they might eventually replace the Hawks with given that it obviously won't be F16s.

ecsrobin

17,025 posts

164 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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Whilst the report is all of rubbish (which has already been pointed out) I do know that the tutor/tucano/hawk contracts are currently being reviewed which could include finding suitable replacements.

FourWheelDrift

88,382 posts

283 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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Early testing of the Hawk replacement. (Hope I can see this as I can't see my post from earlier even though it's been quoted, fecking server delays)


ninja-lewis

4,226 posts

189 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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The original source was the officer commanding 736 Naval Air Squadron - which recently stood up to replace the contractor-run FRADU in the providing missile attack and fighter control training to warships while building a cadre of FAA fixed wing expertise ready for the F-35. He was specifically talking about a replacement for the Hawk T1s used by 736 NAS with a view to widening the role of the squadron to include 'aggressor' training for fighters. In all likelihood, they will receive Hawk T2 for fleet commonality.

At no point were the Red Arrows mentioned. They in any event will almost certainly have a BAE replacement too for their current Hawks.

IanMorewood

4,309 posts

247 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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Dissimilar aggressor aircraft are subcontracted still aren't they?

Elroy Blue

8,686 posts

191 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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It's the Wail and factual accuracy doesn't need to be a part of anything appearing in that rag. Somebody in the Mail's Office would have said "Hawk, isn't that what those acrobatic lot in the red planes fly". Instantly becomes Red Arrows to have F16s.


Mave

8,208 posts

214 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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Be interesting to see which way the USAF will go with the TX contract. Presumably whatever replaces the T38 will be the lead in trainer for the F35 (and F22), will they go for relatively simple, low cost, commonality(ish!) with the USN, or will they want something closer to the F35 in performance, bearing in mind there's no 2 seater?