Red Arrows’ Hawks to dazzle UAE’s capital

They will perform a fly by of the world famous Emirates Palace and along the Abu Dhabi Corniche. The event in the UAE capital is being supported by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.

At 3:30pm on 13 December, The Red Arrows, the aerobatic display team of the Royal Air Force, will present their stunning aerobatic display over the Hilton Hotel. During the display, newly developed for the season, they will put their BAE Systems’ Hawk aircraft through an amazing array of manoeuvres, including the ‘Palm Split’ especially created for this Middle East tour.

Ben Bridge, Regional VP Middle East and General Manager, UAE, BAE Systems, said: “We are delighted to sponsor this year’s Eastern Arrows Tour and are thrilled that the Red Arrows will be here in Abu Dhabi. Although the Reds fly the earlier Hawk TMk1, they are still able to produce the most fantastic spectacle that we are proud to share with the people of Abu Dhabi. BAE Systems sponsor the Red Arrows not only because they choose to fly our aircraft but because they strive for the same goals as our company, high performance, professionalism and the determination to be the best.”

All of the Red Arrows pilots are RAF frontline fast jet pilots seconded to the RAF’s aerobatic team and all were trained to fly fast jets such as Typhoon and Tornado on the Hawk aircraft. The Red Arrows fly the original version of the Hawk aircraft, with the latest version of the aircraft, the Hawk AJT (Advanced Jet Trainer), due to enter service with the RAF to prepare pilots to fly the very latest front line fast jets.

Outperforming and outselling the competition; the Hawk is in service or has been ordered by 19 nations across the globe including the Royal Air Force, NATO Flying Training Canada (NFTC) and the Royal Australian Air Force. BAE Systems also, earlier this year, won a deal to support Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies – formerly known as GAMCO - with maintainance work on 37 Hawk aircraft that are owned by the UAE Air Force and Air Defence.

The Hawk AJT is a brand new aircraft and has recently been selected by the Royal Air Force as the training platform for the next generation of Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 Lightning II pilots. It has evolved from a family of training aircraft that have already successfully prepared thousands of fast-jet pilots over the world to fly aircraft such as F-15, F-16, F-18, Mirage 2000 and Typhoon.

The Hawk AJT is fitted with a new and digitally controlled Rolls Royce Adour 951 engine. This very powerful and reliable engine provides carefree handling throughout the whole flight envelope, just like on modern fighter aircraft. It also has a low noise and emissions footprint, and a low fuel burn that help to minimise environmental impact. In addition, it has been designed for high reliability and a very long life which improves safety and reduces operating costs.
Squadron Leader Jas Hawker, the Red Arrows’ Team Leader, said: “Our display is the product of highly skilled people in the air and on the ground and the agile and reliable BAE Systems Hawk.”