One of the most successful light attack aircraft in the world today is the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, built initially as a jet trainer for the RAF but exported to a large amount of nations which have taken advantage of its remarkable combat capabilities (for its size) which put it in the same category as the similar Alpha Jet and MB.326/MB.339 aircraft. Perhaps its greatest asset, however, is its unparalleled low maintenance requirements which give it the lowest per flight hour of any jet available anywhere, overall it is one of the most economical aircraft to fly and operate and because of this it has found over a dozen foreign clients which range from third-world countries to NATO partners and even the US Navy which license-builds it as the T-45 Goshawk. Thanks to its export success, it continues to be built today by BAE Systems and will likely be found well into the 21st century for both training and combat duties worldwide.

The HS.1182 prototype was first flown on 21 August 1974 and entered service with he RAF as the Hawk T.1 combat-capable trainer while a number were later converted into Sidewinder-equipped interceptors known as the T.1A. The initial batch of export versions began with the Hawk Mk. 50 series which were offered to Finland, Indonesia and Kenya. These were then followed by the Hawk Mk. 60 series with increased weapons capability and an uprated engine, clients included Zimbabwe, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and South Korea. Subsequently, the Hawk Mk. 100 series was built as an advanced weapons platform with modern avionics. These were sent to Abu Dhabi, Oman, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada, and Bahrain. The newest version of the aircraft is the Hawk Mk. 200 series which is a dedicated single-seat multi-role aircraft optimized for close suport, interdiction, reconnaissance and anti-ship strike. Although based on the Mk. 60, it has a completely new set of avionics (including the APG-66H radar similar to that of the F-16) and a more powerful engine. Finally, the T-45 Goshawk is a McDonnell Douglas license-built version for the US Navy which is used for carrier training duties.