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In 1984, British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) decided to pursue development of a combat-orientated variant of the Hawk aircraft, designated as Hawk 200; up to this point the Hawk family had been typically employed by operators as an advanced trainer with secondary combat capabilities. A single flying demonstrator aircraft was produced to support the development process. This made its first flight on 19 May 1986.[2]
Less than two months after first taking flight, the Hawk 200 demonstrator was lost in a fatal accident at Dunsfold Aerodrome, killing BAe test pilot Jim Hawkins; Hawkins is alleged to have either become disoriented or to have fallen unconscious, due to g-LOC (g induced loss of consciousness), while executing high-g manoeuvres to explore the aircraft's agility.[citation needed]
Despite the loss of the demonstrator, the company decided to proceed with the Hawk 200; by 1987, the first pre-production samples were being manufactured. In 1990, the Hawk 200 received its first order when Oman opted to procure a batch of twelve Hawk 203s, all of which were delivered by 1993.[1]
Design
Overview
The Hawk 200 is a single-seat, single engine light multirole fighter with a small visual signature and high manoeuvrability.[3] It has a low-mounted cantilever wing and is powered by a single turbofan engine. The Hawk 200 differs from the earlier Hawks in having a new forward fuselage in which the forward cockpit area which normally houses a pilot is replaced by an electronics bay for avionics and onboard systems, including a fire control computer, multi-mode radar, laser rangefinder and forward-looking infrared (FLIR).[4] The Hawk 200 also has an upgraded wing which, in addition to four wing pylons seen in previous Hawks, also has wingtip missile support as well as greater wing area, increased wing droop, larger flaps and an optional mid-air refuelling capability.
The Hawk 200 has 7 external store points with four underwing pylons, an under-fuselage pylon, and wingtip air-to-air missile stations. The range of external stores which the aircraft can carry includes air-to-air missiles (AAM), a gunpod, rocket launchers, reconnaissance pod, retarded and free-fall bombs up to 1,000 pounds (450 kg), runway cratering, anti-personnel and light armour bombs, cluster bombs (meanwhile prohibited), practice bomb and rocket carriers and external fuel tanks.[5][unreliable source?]
The pilot has a hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS) control system and a wide-field-of-view head-up display (HUD). Using the weapon control panel, which controls the stores management system, the pilot can select the weapons and release mode prior to initiating an attack.
As in all other modernised Hawks, the Hawk 200's all-glass cockpit has a multi-functional colour display, with a dedicated processor and 15-colour graphics symbology generator. There are 27 display formats which provide flight and aircraft data. The cockpit is also compatible with night-vision goggles.[1][5] Just outside of the cockpit is an inflight refuelling probe.
The Hawk 200 was originally powered by an Adour 871 two shaft, low bypass ratio turbofan engine from Rolls-Royce Turbomeca, providing the aircraft with 26.00 kN of thrust. In 2005, the Adour 951 engine was certified for use on the Hawk 200. The improved Adour 951 has improved performance (rated at 29.00 kN (6,520 lbf) thrust) and has up to twice the service life of the Adour Mk 871. It features an all-new fan and combustor, revised HP and LP turbines, and introduces Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC).
Both engines are non-afterburning versions of the Adour series, and are fed by air intakes on both sides of the fuselage. The internal fuel tanks are installed in the fuselage and compartmented integral tanks located in the wings, containing up to 1361 kg of fuel. Up to two 591-liter drop tanks can also be carried on the inboard underwing pylons.[6]
The Hawk 208s flew 15 sorties, each Hawk 200 dropping Mk 82 unguided bombs in the first sortie and firing CRV7 rockets at additional ground targets on the second and third.[9] A spokesman for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said in a phone interview that the objective of the airstrikes was to "soften the ground before troops move in".[10]
On 15 June 2020, an Indonesian Air Force Hawk 209 jet fighter crashed in a residential area of Kampar, Riau. The pilot, First Lt. Apriyanto, was able to eject himself and survived the accident. He was subsequently examined at Dr. Soekirman Air Force Hospital in Pekanbaru.[11]
^Jackson, Paul (2003). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group. p. 481. ISBN0-7106-2537-5.
^"FoxtrotAlpha". 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 20 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
^"Hawk 200 faces a tougher market". New Scientist. Reed Business Information (1516): 28. 10 July 1986. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
