The Saudi Hawks aerobatic display team has returned to the air show circuit, making its first appearance using newly-fielded BAE Systems Hawk 165 advanced jet trainers.
Sporting the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) team’s striking green and white livery, the single-engined jets opened the flying display at the World Defense Show near Riyadh on 8 February.
All 10 of the Saudi Hawks’ new aircraft can be seen at the event, with nine parked in the display participant area and the other in the static park.
While the team ordinarily performs with seven aircraft, the opening day’s routine was restricted to only six jets, after one encountered a technical issue before take-off and returned to the ramp.
The new assets have taken the place of older-generation Hawk 65s, which were removed from use after displaying for the last time at the Bahrain International Airshow in November 2024. Those jets had been used by the Saudi Hawks since its formation in 1999.
Aviation analytics company Cirium records the RSAF as having 81 Hawks in operational use. Of those, 44 are in the newer Mk 165 standard – including examples which underwent assembly in Saudi Arabia – while the remainder are legacy Hawk 65/A trainers.
BAE ended production of the Hawk earlier this decade, following the completion of its final orders for Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Intriguingly, the UK is now facing the question of how to replace the veteran Hawk T1s still flown by the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) Red Arrows aerobatic display team. The aged jets are currently expected to leave use around 2030, with no successor yet identified.
The RAF also aims to replace its 28 younger Hawk T2s – which are highly similar to the Saudi Hawks’ new aircraft – with modern jets to deliver pilot training duties.
