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RNAS Culdrose Hawk jets undertake final flight

Helen Wilkins hawks flying by cliffHelen Wilkins
Two Royal Navy Hawk's flew across Cornwall for the last time on Thursday

The Royal Navy's Hawk jets have flown around Cornwall for their last flight before being retired.

The aircrafts, based at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, in Helston, flew to Plymouth, around Cornwall and then departed for RAF Shawbury.

The fast jets have been a mainstay for decades in training Royal Navy and NATO ships in air defence.

Last year it was announced the Hawk T1 defence jets, excluding the Red Arrows, were to be stood down.

RNAS Culdrose Hawk Jet flying over CornwallRNAS Culdrose
The Cornwall-based Hawk jets departed from RNAS Culdrose

Lieutenant Commander Jason Flintham, the commanding officer of 736 Naval Air Squadron, said: "I think it's fair to say that the Hawk jets have been the outstanding workhorse of the military.

"Of course, it's not just about these superb aircraft.

"We thank everyone who has served over the years including those in industry and the military."

The jets played the role of enemy planes and missiles in training scenarios including the Royal Navy's Thursday War exercise based out of Devonport.

PA Media Red ArrowsPA Media
The BAE Systems Hawks have been used by the RAF for 40 years and by the Royal Navy since the 1990s

The retirement of the aircraft was announced in the 2021 defence review.

The BAE Systems Hawks have been used by the RAF for 40 years and the Royal Navy's aircraft date from the 1990s.

They were first based at RNAS Culdrose in 1994 and were incorporated into the re-formed 736 Naval Air Squadron in 2013.

736 Naval Air Squadron will be decommissioned at the end of March.

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