Prestwick has become the preferred site to build the UK’s new Red Arrows jet

Doug Maclean - Aviation News Editor

Ayrshire Daily News broke the story on 16th May that a British company had included Prestwick in 5 UK sites being considered to build the replacement for the Hawk military jet training aircraft.

Image - Claire Hartley

The company are AERALIS and their innovative project promised no upfront cost for the UK Government and a new British built jet to train UK military pilots for decades ahead. Founder and Chief Executive of Aeralis, Mr Tristan Crawford, spent the day at Prestwick on Tuesday. He was meeting the Airport senior management.

Neither AERALIS nor Prestwick were able to comment on the meeting however we spoke to the company today and they said “AERALIS is the only British programme building a light jet aircraft to deliver a replacement to the Red Arrows. Our privately funded business model will allow the UK to design and build an aircraft at no upfront cost to the taxpayer, with modularity delivering a future fleet of various types, designed to support evolving needs.

We can now exclusively report that multiple sources have told us that Prestwick is going to be the site where AERALIS want to assemble a whole family of the new military jets for the RAF, and also the export market. Final assembly at of the new military training jets Prestwick is being described as a “done deal.”

The proposed design for France - Aeralis

The concept is that there will be a common core fuselage which will be built in Hampshire. Aircraft with different roles will have different characteristics. The various parts of the aircraft will be brought together at one airport where the aircraft will be assembled, flight tested and finished for delivery. This is very like the Airbus and Boeing concepts where different companies use their expertise to manufacture key components which are then assembled in one large final assembly facility.

AERALIS proposes that there will be uncrewed versions with different wing shapes, air tanker versions, twin and single engine versions, light attack versions and training versions.

The proposed design with many different types of aircraft - Aeralis

The most famous version of the new jet is proposed to replace the current RAF display aircraft which make up The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – The Red Arrows !

The Red Arrows currently fly Hawk T1 aircraft which are due to retire by 2030. That would mean that the development of the new AERALIS jet would have to be rapid. One major barrier to the new jet being ordered was removed just last week when the UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review confirmed that the Hawk T1 and Hawk T2 jets should be replaced with a cost effective fast jet trainer.

Central Ayrshire MP Alan Gemmell asked of Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement, in the House of Commons on 19th May “I have spent months convincing British scale-up AERALIS to choose Prestwick as the location at which it will build a proposed Hawk replacement — the first British jet built in 50 years. That would create 4,000 jobs. Will she do all she can to bring Aeralis to Prestwick and make the Red Arrows British and Scottish ?

We asked Mr Gemmel to explain what was likely to happen with his request to choose Prestwick. He said “Aeralis approached me some months ago and I jumped on the chance to have their modular jet assembled in Prestwick. After visiting many of the businesses on the aerospace park I knew about our proud heritage in jet development. I told the AERALIS team I’d do all I could to help them win the race to replace the Hawk jet if they choose Prestwick.

Mr Gemmell explained that the “Secretary of State for Defence indicated that ministers should first of all seek out a British-based replacement for the Red Arrows. AERALIS is the only possible British solution to replace the Hawk jet – and the only way for our Government to keep our Red Arrows British and Scottish.”

He concluded by saying “I believe that Prestwick and AERALIS are perfect for each other and that AERALIS are now committed to Prestwick.”

Prestwick has decades of handling military aircraft of all varieties. They handle more military aircraft than any civil airport in the UK. We even heard this morning that the UK Ministry of Defence has chosen Prestwick to be the temporary base for the RAF’s air to air tanker fleet. This further demonstrates the great trust there is in Prestwick airport.

Irvine born MP Alan Gemmell was previously a diplomat and successful trade commissioner for the UK Government. He worked in India, Israel, Mexico, Brazil and London and has negotiated multi million pound deals to bring substantial investment to the UK.

The Hawk aircraft that AERALIS propose to replace is an export success and Alan sees the Prestwick built jet of the future as a likely successor. He said “The UK Government is committed to defence as an engine for economic growth” Alan’s contact book in India and elsewhere may be getting revived soon.

The 4,000 jobs talked about, would be spread across several sites in the UK. But the final assembly of all UK built AERALIS jets would bring substantial numbers of well paid, long term, aircraft engineering jobs to Prestwick.

There are millions of pounds already allocated by the UK Government, Scottish Government and South Ayrshire Council to develop aerospace at Prestwick as part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal. There is a site on the airport which is earmarked for aerospace development. Building could go ahead very quickly as the UK’s new military training jet final assembly plant.

Now we need all of Scotland’s politicians and industry leaders to get behind this move and help the UK Government make their decision. Buy AERALIS jets and see the next generation of Red Arrows born at Prestwick.

Exciting times for Ayrshire and Scotland and yet again highlighting that Prestwick is the beating heart of Scottish aviation.