Rolls-Royce Joins Hawk AJT System Team To Compete USAF T-X Program

BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce today announced that Rolls-Royce is joining the Hawk Advanced Jet Training System (AJTS) team to compete for the U.S. Air Force’s T-X program.

As the engine supplier to BAE Systems on this pursuit, Rolls-Royce will lead the support and integration of the Adour Mk951 engine on the Hawk AJTS aircraft.

“Rolls-Royce’s extensive propulsion expertise, coupled with their lengthy relationship with the U.S. Air Force, makes them the perfect choice to integrate their Adour Mk951 engine in the Hawk AJTS aircraft,” said Robert Wood, vice president of BAE Systems’ Hawk Advanced Jet Training System team. “The selection of Rolls-Royce rounds out the Hawk AJTS team as we pursue the T-X program win.”

Rolls-Royce joins BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, and L-3 Link Simulation & Training as the fourth member of the Hawk AJTS team. The team plans to offer the Hawk AJTS as the replacement of the T-38 trainer. The Hawk AJTS is uniquely tailored to meet the training needs of the U.S. Air Force and will be manufactured in the United States with the involvement of a strong U.S. supply chain.

“We are delighted to join the Hawk AJTS team and bring our decades of experience to the program,” said Tom Hartmann, senior vice president of Customer Business at Rolls-Royce Defense. “The Rolls-Royce Adour engine has demonstrated success with 8.6 million flying hours and 200 engines already in service within the U.S. Department of Defense, plus hundreds of others in service around the world. The Hawk AJTS is the affordable, low-risk option, offering proven performance to the U.S. Air Force.”

The Hawk AJTS effectively integrates live and synthetic air- and ground-based elements to successfully train pilots for 5th generation fighters such as the F-35 Lightning II and the F-22 Raptor. It is the world’s only fully-integrated, off-the-shelf system in service today that is ready now to train U.S. Air Force combat pilots. More than just an aircraft, the Hawk AJTS teaches student pilots how to address the critical flow of information, learn to interpret it correctly, and make the right decisions to maintain operational advantage.