The design and development contract for the RAF's Hawk Mk128 aircraft has been delayed in an attempt to avoid the overruns that have afflicted other recent programmes - notably the Astute submarine and Nimrod MRA Mk4. Both cases resulted in compensation payments being made by BAE Systems.
"Astute and Nimrod gave us a bad reputation for delivery, so we are determined to set off on the right foot this time," Mike Parkinson, managing director Hawk, said at the show.
A contract signature at the show was "what everyone had hoped for", said Parkinson, but the delay will ensure that the £800 million ($1.5 billion) programme's delivery schedule will be realistic. The RAF has ordered 20 Hawk Mk128s to meet its Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) requirement, and has options on 24 more.
Source: Flight Daily News
