BAE Systems hopes to receive a long-awaited production contract for 12 Nimrod MRA4 maritime reconnaissance and attack aircraft at this week's show, following the completion of more than 320 flight hours using three prototypes.
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| Three Nimrod MRA4 prototypes are close to delivery to the RAF after flying 125 sorties up to early this month |
The developmental MRA4 fleet had flown 125 sorties by early this month, with recent milestones including conducting night landings, operating with a two-crew flightdeck and reaching an operating altitude of 35,000ft (10,700m), says BAE's design and development director Wayne Scholz.
First Bahrain delivery |
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| Bahrain was due to take delivery of its first of six Hawk 129 advanced jet trainers (AJT) from BAE Systems on the first day of the show, and is believed to be considering exercising part of an option for up to six more aircraft. Formally accepted at BAE's Warton site in Lancashire on 30 June, the aircraft - BT03 - is one of five Hawk 129s to have been delivered to the site and undergone flight testing to date. Production of Bahrain's last aircraft is nearing completion at Brough in Yorkshire. All six will be delivered to the country by year-end. The Hawk 129 is to provide the advanced element of a national training system supplied to Bahrain by BAE. This includes three Slingsby Firefly basic trainers and synthetic training devices. BAE will also exhibit its first of two Hawk 128 AJT demonstrators for the UK Royal Air Force, in anticipation of a 26-aircraft production order and will showcase its sensor simulation capabilities using Hawk development aircraft ZJ951. |
The programme's first and third prototypes are undergoing test flights from BAE's Warton site in Lancashire, with the latter - PA03 - representative of the Royal Air Force's final production configuration. BAE expects to conduct a major design review for the MRA4 in December, with this to freeze the airframe's final configuration.
"We are still testing the air vehicle, but every flight hour is multiplied by the number of systems we are able to work on," says RAF Sqn Ldr Drew Steel, tactical officer for the programme's joint trials team. "We are establishing a credible level of confidence in the aircraft." Current activities by PA03 include using the aircraft's electro-optical sensor, satellite communications suite and radar, he says, with the aircraft also having flown the type's longest sortie to date, at 5h 10min.
BAE's other MRA4 prototype - PA02 - is awaiting modification. All three prototypes will be delivered to the RAF, along with up to nine additional aircraft. The MRA4 is expected to deliver a mission endurance of up to 14h, have an operating ceiling of 42,000ft and a range of up to 11,100km (6,000nm).
Source: Flight International
