The US Air Force (USAF) has found a way to deal with delays in the T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer jet program.
Contracted with Boeing in 2018 for a fixed amount, the USAF intends to receive 350 aircraft to partially replace its T-38 Talons, planes that have been in service for decades.
But the constant problems of the manufacturer and the project caused the initial entry into service to be delayed. Currently, there are five test aircraft in flight with air force pilots, but the need to make up for lost time motivated the service to reach a new agreement with Boeing.
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Under this new agreement, the manufacturer will produce four more T-7As, called Production Representative Test Vehicles (PRTVs), using research and development funds from fiscal year 2025.
The jets will reinforce the test and development plan for Initial Operational Capability to be achieved in 2027.
Lot 1 delayed
Boeing will also be granted new financial resources if it manages to improve the design, such as in relation to autonomy, which the USAF intends to increase.
“Acquisition programs cannot be stagnant, even when they are fixed-price. This is why I’ve directed the T-7A team to implement updates to reduce risk and increase our confidence in the aircraft design, all to ensure we can deliver the T-7A to the warfighter when needed,” said Andrew Hunter, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
On the other hand, production of Lot 1 of the T-7A will be delayed until 2026, one year later than planned. The Air Force had reduced the number of production aircraft from 14 to 7 airframes within the fiscal year 2025 budget.
Digital tools
Boeing and its partner Saab won the T-X competition in 2018, beating out Lockheed and KAI with the T-50 Golden Eagle and Leonardo with the T-100 (M-346).
Developed using digital tools, the T-7A was built quickly, but then the problems began.
From supply chain delays to assembly line issues and in-flight instabilities, the Red Hawk has taken longer to develop.
One of the unusual problems with the program involves the aircraft’s ejection seat system, which would not have been approved for smaller pilots.
