Can AERALIS reignite UK aerospace design with their trainer?

For decades, the Hawk trainer has been a mainstay of UK military aviation, enabling the Royal Air Force to groom future fighter pilots while delighting airshow audiences with the iconic Red Arrows.

But age and rising costs have turned the Hawk into a looming problem. The T1 model, which powers the Red Arrows, is on borrowed time, and the newer T2 is beset by maintenance and reliability issues. Unless a replacement is found quickly, the UK risks handing its world-famous aerobatic team an uncertain future—or even sending prospective fast-jet pilots abroad for training.

Enter AERALIS, a British aerospace startup with an audacious plan to replace the Hawk using a fresh model of aircraft development. The company’s proposal is bold: design and build a modular jet that adapts to multiple training roles without the Ministry of Defence footing the upfront bill. Investors, they say, will cover development costs in exchange for future flight-hour contracts.

It’s an approach that could preserve a sovereign training capability, keep the Red Arrows flying British jets, and generate thousands of UK jobs—with minimal financial risk for the government.

The Hawk Conundrum

Few aircraft hold the same place in British aviation culture as the Hawk. Its older T1 variant, introduced in the mid-1970s, has served the Red Arrows so well that many assume it will always be there, streaking red-white-and-blue plumes across the sky. Yet that assumption is now precarious.

While still maneuverable and visually striking, the T1’s maintenance costs have risen sharply, and critical parts are becoming harder to source. The T2—the RAF’s advanced trainer—is not far behind on the retirement schedule.

The UK must replace both, or risk an expensive gap that forces pilot training onto frontline Typhoons or even F-35s—an inefficient (and costly) use of advanced combat jets. Some training is already migrating overseas, raising concerns about the erosion of domestic expertise.

A Homegrown Option

Established in 2017, AERALIS aims to return fast-jet training to British soil with an innovative, modular aircraft concept. Instead of designing multiple jets for different roles—basic training, advanced training, aerobatic display—the company proposes a single fuselage adaptable via interchangeable wings, engines, and avionics. Proponents say this approach can halve the long-term operating cost of the fleet by consolidating maintenance, spares, and logistics under one common architecture.

Crucially, AERALIS suggests it could move swiftly if it receives formal recognition from the Ministry of Defence that its jets will fill the RAF’s future training needs. That nod of confidence could unlock the private investment needed to complete development.

In theory, the result is a “pay-as-you-go” model: the government pays for flight hours, while the aircraft itself is financed and owned by a third party. If successful, it would mark a departure from decades of cumbersome (and often over-budget) defence procurement practices.

Strategic Benefits

Supporters of the AERALIS approach argue that it does more than just solve a training deficit. They say it represents a chance to reignite British aerospace design and manufacturing, with the potential to sustain or create thousands of skilled jobs. Building a homegrown jet trainer—rather than importing from Italy, the United States, or elsewhere—would also showcase the UK’s engineering talent and preserve a measure of industrial sovereignty.

For the Red Arrows in particular, retaining a British-made jet carries weight well beyond the purely operational. The team is an enduring symbol of the nation’s aviation heritage. Flying a foreign jet, however capable, could be seen as a blow to UK aerospace prestige at a time when the country seeks to bolster its high-tech manufacturing base.

Moreover, AERALIS’s concept is intentionally export-friendly. By meeting civil certification standards, their jet could potentially serve multiple NATO and allied air forces, offering them a plug-and-play training solution that does not require large government outlays. If all goes to plan, the commercial appeal could generate significant export revenue, further justifying the initial government endorsement.

A Crowded Field

Of course, AERALIS is not the only option. Major aerospace players already offer well-known trainer aircraft:

• Leonardo M-346 (originally a joint project with a Russian design bureau in the 1990s) is proven but considered expensive to buy and maintain by some.
• Boeing T-7A Red Hawk promises next-generation capabilities but has experienced development delays and could prioritise U.S. Air Force deliveries before exporting.
• Turkish Aerospace Hurjet is a fresh entrant already flying, but prospective buyers might weigh geopolitical or industrial-participation concerns.
• KAI T-50 Golden Eagle from South Korea is supersonic and combat-ready but may be over-specified for training, with higher fuel burn and lifecycle costs.
• Pilatus PC-21 is a turboprop that reduces costs but lacks a pure jet’s performance for higher-end training.

Critics of a brand-new design warn that standing up a production line, proving flight readiness, and securing full certification can be time-consuming and expensive. AERALIS has yet to fly a prototype, and skeptics argue that the RAF cannot gamble on an unproven aircraft under tight timelines but what’s the alternative?

A Fork in the Road

The UK stands at a decision point. Selecting an off-the-shelf foreign trainer might look simpler, but it risks losing the Red Arrows’ domestic pedigree, adding to trade imbalances, and eroding the nation’s ability to build its own jets—especially when thousands of aerospace jobs could be on the line. On the other hand, committing to a British startup like AERALIS requires faith that a smaller enterprise, armed with digital design tools and industry partners, can outpace the typical pitfalls of aircraft development.

Time is short. With the Hawk T1’s retirement fast approaching, the MoD will likely need to act within the next few years—or face a scenario where the Red Arrows are grounded or forced to fly a jet that’s neither British nor cost-effective in the long run.

In many ways, the choice mirrors broader questions about the UK’s industrial future. Can the country afford to let yet another homegrown aviation project slip away in favor of an imported platform? Or will it seize the opportunity to nurture a new generation of British aerospace engineers, while preserving an iconic demonstration of national pride?

Yet AERALIS’s ambitious vision comes with hurdles that extend beyond tight timelines. The company has yet to fly a prototype, with its first flight—originally targeted for 2024—pushed beyond early 2025, raising doubts about its ability to meet the RAF’s pressing needs. While wind tunnel testing in 2022 marked progress and a preliminary design review followed, the absence of a flying jet leaves key claims untested. AERALIS touts impressive specs, like a top speed of Mach 0.90 for its advanced trainer and a 30% cut in acquisition and maintenance costs, but these remain theoretical until proven in the air. Technical challenges, such as integrating a modular design with interchangeable engines and avionics, could further complicate certification and production, risks the article glosses over in favor of strategic optimism.

Bolstering AERALIS’s case, however, are its high-profile partnerships, which lend weight to its credibility. The company collaborates with industry giants like Rolls-Royce for propulsion, Martin-Baker for ejection seats, Thales UK for training systems, and Siemens for digital engineering—names that signal trust in the modular concept.

These alliances, alongside contracts like a £9 million deal from the UK Ministry of Defence in 2022 and investment from a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund, suggest AERALIS is more than a hopeful startup. Still, translating this support into a functional aircraft demands execution, not just endorsements. Critics argue that even with such backing, the leap from design to delivery could stumble on unforeseen technical snags or funding gaps, a vulnerability that established competitors, with their flying jets, don’t face.

For now, AERALIS remains hopeful it can secure the political and financial runway to lift its modular jet off the drawing board. Whether it takes flight—literally and figuratively—will speak volumes about the UK’s appetite for innovation, self-reliance, and the enduring spectacle of red jets flying under the Union Jack.