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Hawk an example of British firm's role in Make in India: UK minister​

Last Updated 14 February 2017, 21:10 IST

The performance by the Advanced Hawk, jointly developed by BAE Systems and HAL, is an example of a UK company contributing to the Make in India programme, said UK Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin on Tuesday.

She told reporters after watching the Advanced Hawk's debut at Aero India that both the countries have much to offer each other. "We have discussed a range of issues with the Indian government with regard to the needs of the armed forces. Britain itself is going through a period where we are thinking of upgrading the capability of our army, navy and air force," she said, adding collaborations in times of need will lead to strengthening of ties.

When asked about future plans for tie-ups with Indian companies, she said, "One in 20 professionals in private firms in India work for UK companies. UK-India relationship is a two-way street. We are investing here and Indian companies have been very successful bidders on many of our projects. We look forward to going from strength to strength.”

​T​he new features of the Advanced Hawk enable training activities currently performed on frontline fighter aircraft to be undertaken on the updated air platform. The Advanced Hawk will reduce training demands on more expensive frontline aircraft, creating additional capacity for operational tasks, while delivering fast jet training in a more cost-effective, structured and safer environment.

High commonality with the existing Hawk production and support infrastructure in India enable the Advanced Hawk to be manufactured and supported with maximum reuse of facilities, equipment and skills​.​

Alan Garwood, group business development director, BAE Systems, said 99 Hawks (Mark-132) have been built in India and the Advanced Hawk has taken the collaboration to the next level.

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(Published 14 February 2017, 21:10 IST)

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