Qatar stands up Hawk Squadron in North Yorkshire

On Wednesday 24 November 2021, at a bitterly cold RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, His Excellency Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, Qatari Minister of State for Defence, and British Defence Secretary, The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP formally unveiled a new Joint Hawk Training Squadron at RAF Leeming in Yorkshire. Unlike the joint RAF and Qatar Emiri Air Force Typhoon Squadron, which has an RAF ‘numberplate’, the new unit uses a Qatar Emiri Air Force unit designation, as 11 Squadron, QEAF.

This new Joint Squadron builds on years of close partnership between the Royal Air Force and the Qatari Emiri Air Force (QEAF) and is intended to enhance the capabilities of the two Air Forces and especially to improve their ability to operate together.

The Squadron will deliver advanced training to both QEAF and RAF pilots in its nine new Hawk Mk 167s, which wear Qatari national insignia but UK military serial numbers. Two of the aircraft already wear the crossed swords and wings badge of 11 Squadron on their tailfins.

The squadron has been flying at RAF Leeming for some time, training instructors (four from BAE Systems and one RAF ‘secondee’) and developing the syllabus, and the first four QEAF student pilots began Hawk training in October. They have now completed their groundschool phase and will soon begin flying. The Squadron is planning to train eight Qatari pilots a year, with RAF student pilots due to join the Squadron in 2022 to train alongside their Qatari counterparts. The initial contract will see the Hawks remaining at Leeming for six years, though this is likely to be extended, as training in the UK will prevent airspace congestion in Qatar.

Qatar ordered six Hawk Mk167 aircraft as part of the £6 billion contract that became effective in 2018, and which also included the supply of 24 Typhoons, spares, support and bespoke training – including a six-year availability support service. Subsequently, three additional Hawks were added to the package.

With a fighter force of 96 Rafales, F-15QAs and Typhoons to ‘feed’, it is likely that Qatar will need to significantly expand its pilot training effort.