Saudi Arabia rolls out first locally assembled Hawk

摘要

SAUDI ARABIA has completed a first locally assembled Hawk Mk165. The Advanced Jet Trainer was formally unveiled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is deputy prime minister and defence minister, during a ceremony at Dhahran-King Abdul Aziz Air Base on March 31. It is the first of 22 that will be assembled in the country under a contract signed with BAE Systems on February 18, 2016- see Saudi Arabia Orders 22 More Hawks, April 2016, p21. The manufacturer is supplying kits for all 22 aircraft, which are then shipped to Saudi Arabia for final assembly. After ground testing, the initial example undertook a flight test during the official rollout ceremony.