Saudi Arabia unveils first locally assembled Hawk jet training aircraft

DHAHRAN: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled Saudi Arabia’s first locally assembled Hawk jet training aircraft during a ceremony held at King Abdulaziz Air Base.

Stepping in into aviation industry, Saudi Arabia launched its first locally assembled Hawk jet training aircraft, some parts of which were manufactured by local companies, Arab News reported on Monday.

According to reports, the Kingdom has utilised Saudi youth workforce up to more than 70 per cent in the project, who are assembling 22 Hawk aircraft after more than two years of training at the hands of international expertise.

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A briefing was also given to the crown prince, who is also deputy prime minister and minister of defence, regarding the stages of assembling and manufacturing the main parts of the trainer jet.

The plane took off for its test flight after the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave the go signal during the event after completion of its rigorous test.

The Saudi-British Defense Cooperation Program, in collaboration with BAE Systems (BAE Systems), oversaw the training of Saudi youth with the participation of more than 25 national companies.

In addition to the training aircraft manufacturing project, Saudi Arabia has launched its satellite and nuclear energy projects as part of a massive modernization effort under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 program.