The U.S. Air Force and Boeing have agreed upon a framework to adjust aspects of the T-7A Red Hawk acquisition approach to meet Air Education and Training Command's (AETC) operational needs and deliver a platform that is safe, suitable, and sustainable to replace the aging fleet of T-38C Talon aircraft.
In 2018, the Air Force awarded a fixed-price contract to Boeing for T-7A aircraft development and 10 fixed-price lots of all 350 T-7A operational aircraft. Air Force pilots are currently flying five test aircraft, with the last one delivered in December 2024.
"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. "These acquisition updates include expanding test capacity, enabling the start of AETC's curriculum development activities, and using a management approach which incentivizes Boeing to address emergent issues that were not part of the contract that was signed in 2018 and to accelerate elements of the program."
Under the adjusted plan, the Air Force would procure four Production Representative Test Vehicles (PRTVs) with fiscal year 2025 (FY25) research, development, test & evaluation (RDT&E) funds to deliver in FY26. This expanded test capacity would enable AETC to expedite test plan and curriculum development earlier than the current plan, ultimately achieving a timely Initial Operational Capability (IOC).
"Procuring these PRTVs in FY25 also allows the Air Force and Boeing to improve manufacturing readiness prior to entering the production phase for the entire run of over 350 T-7As," said Hunter. "Decreasing overlap between development, testing, and production lowers the likelihood of potential costly retrofits of a significant number of aircraft."
He added, that while the adjusted Air Force plan would result in the award of Lot 1 production aircraft in calendar year 2026, the production delivery timeline of the PRTVs and the Lot 1 aircraft would preserve AETC's 2027IOC timeline.
The current plan as outlined in the FY25 President's Budget request, submitted to Congress more than 8 months ago, assumed a production contract award in 2025 and requested funding for the Air Force to purchase seven Lot 1 production aircraft in FY25.
"Air Education and Training Command is actively working with our acquisitions partners to develop cutting edge training capabilities at the speed of need," said Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson, AETC commander. "The T-7A will propel the Air Force's pilot training pipeline into the future of aviation, enabling the Air Force to continue producing world-class pilots who meet the challenges of the future."
The Air Force is working with Congress on what adjustments would be necessary to the FY25 T-7A budget request to execute the adjusted plan.
