Saudi Hawks to make last Bahrain appearance with Mk65 Hawk
November 14, 2024
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF)’s Hawk display team is making its last appearance at the Bahrain International Airshow with the Mk65A Hawk, with the outfit to transition to the Mk165 for next year’s season.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has very close ties to with the Kingdom of Bahrain,” explained a spokesperson for the team. “The participation of the Saudi Hawks enhances the already strong military and diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Both countries share a close relationship, and joint displays and co-operation in defence matters reinforce their partnership and mutual interests in regional stability and security”.
However, this year’s show will be the last time the Saudi Hawks perform in the Kingdom of Bahrain – with the team’s Mk65 due to be retired at the end of the season. Following their final display (to be held in Riyadh at the end of November), the team will then transition onto the Mk165 the RSAF now uses for the training of its fast jet pilots – with all pilots now needing to complete a conversion course with the Basic Fighter Flying School to learn to operate the Mk165, described as “a very different aircraft from the Mk65 with considerably more modern avionics”.
“We are very proud that the Mk165 has been built in Dhahran and it will be good for the team to showcase Saudi equipment and manufacturing,” explained the team spokesperson. Indeed, as the first new Saudi-built fast jet aircraft to fly in Saudi skies, the Hawk has become emblematic of the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030 programme – with the first delivery made to the RSAF in 2019. Ten of the 22 locally-assembled Mk 165s will eventually be delivered to the team, which typically flies a seven-ship formation.
However, it is the reliability of Hawk itself that positions it as a perfect platform for the team. “The airframe is solid and the engine has had very few failures given the number of hours across its users throughout the world. It is also incredibly reliable which makes it the perfect platform for travelling far afield for displays with only the requirement for a relatively small support footprint,” the spokesperson highlighted.
The travelling support team for the Bahrain deployment numbers around 60; comprising pilots, maintenance personnel, administrators, public relations officers and other various support roles. Saudi Hawks are very well supported by the wider Royal Saudi Air Fore and are generally provided with C-130 support aircraft to move equipment and personnel, with a ‘sweeper C-130’ assigned to carry maintenance personnel to refuel and service the aircraft at each display or staging location.
“The biggest challenge we generally face in the Middle East is visibility,” continued the team’s spokesperson, clarifying that the Hawks need 8km of in-flight visibility to perform the full display at the Bahrain Airshow. (If weather minima are not met, the team can alternatively perform a ‘flat’ show – something they regularly train for, “albeit in the generally clear skies of Saudi”.
“In terms of changes to the show, that remains to be seen over the coming months and we look forward to performing in the new jet very soon,” continued the spokesperson. The team is set to make its debut with its new aircraft at Riyad’s World Defense Show (WDS) in February 2026.
