Contents
- Overview
- Technical Specifications
- Variants
- Production History
- Operators
- Images

Overview

The AAe P.96 'Hawk' is a light single-engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the United Commonwealth aerospace and defence company Alteran Aerospace. It is designed to perform various missions such as air defence, air superiority, reconnaissance, attack, and maritime patrol. The Hawk has a delta wing with relaxed stability design and fly-by-wire flight controls. It is also fully interoperable with a wide variety of military organisations' requirements and can operate from short and dispersed runways.

The P.96 Hawk project started in 1979 as a response to the United Commonwealths' need for a new fighter aircraft to replace the AAe P.48 'Pigeon'. The first prototype flew in 1983 and the first production aircraft was delivered in 1985. The Hawk entered service with the United Commonwealths Air Force in 1985 and has since been exported to several countries across the region.

Powered by a Rowlands Aerospace RJ200 Mk.VI turbofan engine, which is a derivative of the Rowlands Aerospace RJ200 base engine, the Hawk was a fast and flexible design. The upgraded engine provides a maximum thrust of 120 kN (18,000 lbf) with afterburner and allows the Hawk to reach a top speed of Mach 1.8 and a combat radius of over 1,500 km - though this varies depending on the Tranche and mission loadout of the aircraft. The Hawk can carry up to 6,000 kg of weapons on eight external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, bombs, rockets, and gun pods. The Hawk also has an internal 27 mm cannon.

Featuring a modern avionics system with a digital cockpit, a multifunctional display, a hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) interface, and a helmet-mounted display (HMD) - the aircraft was known as a well equipped and easy-to-upgrade airframe. Upgraded variants of the Hawk, most notably Tranche Two and Three models, also has an advanced radar system, a pulse-Doppler radar, which can track multiple targets and provide air-to-air and air-to-ground modes. The Hawk also has an integrated electronic warfare system, which includes radar warning receivers, jamming pods, chaff and flare dispensers, and missile approach warning system. The P.96 Hawk was gradually replaced by more advanced fighters in the 2000s, such as the P.125 Osprey and the multi-national Universal Light Fighter.

Despite its age, the aircraft remained popular with the United Commonwealths Air Force for its high performance, ease-of-maintenance and flexible platform. The aircraft is still flown by a number of air forces and private individuals. It is currently known as serving as one of the types of aircraft utilised by the private defence contractor Argus Combat Training Services (ACTS) as an aggressor aircraft.

Technical Specifications

Max. Speed
‣ 1.8 Mach

Powerplant
‣ Rowlands Aerospace RJ200 Mk.VI
‣ 78 kN (17,500 lbf) Dry-Thrust
‣ 120 kN (or 27,000 lbf) Re-heated

Max. Altitude
‣ 17,300 m

Range
‣ 2,500 km (empty)
‣ 3,500 km (ferry)
‣ 1,500 km (combat)

Length
‣ 14.25 m

Span
‣ 8.50 m (without missile/weapon pods)

Weight
‣ 7,850 kg (empty)
‣ 11,300 kg (gross)
‣ 17,800 kg (max)

Crew
‣ 1 pilot

Hardpoints
‣ 1x 27 MM Cannon
‣ 2x wing-tip
‣ 6x under-wing
‣ 2x under-fuselage

Cost
‣ ₽62.50 M UCP ($52.01 M IAD)

Variants

Tranche One (1985 - 1997)
‣ Initial Operational Capability
‣ Multi-Role Capability

Tranche Two (1994 - 2003)
‣ Upgraded AESA Radar System

Tranche Three (2005 - 2012)
‣ Upgraded IRST System
‣ Upgraded AESA Radar System
‣ Wide Area Display (WAD) Cockpit

Production History

First Flight
‣ 11,983 H.E.
‣ 1983 C.E.

Produced From
‣ 11,984 H.E.
‣ 1984 C.E.

Production Status
‣ Post-Production Support

Introduced
‣ 11,985 H.E.
‣ 1985 C.E.

Service Status
‣ In Service

Operators

United Commonwealths of Altera
‣ United Commonwealths Air Force
‣ United Commonwealths Navy
‣ Argus Combat Training Services

Images

P.96 Hawk Tranche One

P.96 Hawk Tranche Two

P.96 Hawk Tranche Three