Following an agreement between the UK and Saudi Arabia, BAE Systems has been awarded a £1.6bn contract which includes the manufacture of 22 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft.
Parts for the Hawk aircraft will be constructed in Samlesbury and assembled at Warton. The aircraft will delivered from 2016 and used to train pilots. The company is also hopeful of longer term work, including maintenance and upgrade work.
As well as securing more than 200 jobs in Lancashire, the award of the contract could mean the migration of jobs from Brough, East Yorkshire, where the Hawk had previously been built.
Guy Griffiths, BAE Systems group managing director international, said: “Through the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer, the trainee fast jet pilots will have access to the very latest in advanced simulation for radar, weapons and defensive aids training to enable a smooth transition to front line aircraft, including Typhoon.”
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