The T-7A Red Hawk will join the 12th Flying Training Wing’s 99th Flying Training Squadron, paving the way for future training and eventually replacing the aging T-38C Talon.

Christmas came a bit early (or really, late) at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, as the United States Air Force welcomed its first Boeing-Saab T-7A Red Hawk this month. The aircraft is the first dedicated trainer built in more than six decades and will be used to train future pilots on fifth- and sixth-generation fighters.

As with many Pentagon programs, however, the T-7A has been running behind schedule and won’t be fully operational with the Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command (AETC) for another couple of years.

The newly arrived Red Hawk will, however, be integrated into the 12th Flying Training Wing’s 99th Flying Training Squadron (FTS), paving the way for future training and eventually replacing the aging T-38C Talon.

“The aircraft delivery is the first physical representation of progress within the program,” explained Brig. Gen. Matthew Leard, director of AETC Plans, Program, Requirements, and International Affairs.

Honoring the Tuskegee Airmen

In April, the U.S. Air Force announced that the first T-7A Red Hawk training aircraft had rolled off the production line at the Boeing Defense, Space & Security building at Lambert International Airport.

It was the first of a planned 351 aircraft to be delivered to the Air Force under terms of a $9.2 billion contract awarded to Boeing in September 2018. The aircraft, along with simulators and associated ground equipment, will replace the Air Education and Training Command’s aging T-38C Talon fleet.

Production models feature the iconic “Red Tail” symbol used on the aircraft flown by the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, while the Red Hawk name is derived from the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, which was among the fighters flown by those African-American pilots. Attending the April ceremony to mark the production of the first T-7A was Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. George Hardy.

“We intend to continue the legacy of breaking barriers and challenging assumptions by utilizing the advanced capabilities of the T-7 training system,” said Lt. Col. Michael Trott, commander of the 99th FTS. “The 99th will rewrite what pilot production looks like and shape the future of pilot training for the next generation of warfighters in America.”

T-7A Red Hawk: A Trainer for the 21st Century

Boeing has touted the T-7A as a leading example of model-based engineering, using software design tools to tightly integrate the engineering, production, and maintenance of an aircraft. According to Flight Global, a precise digital design would help manufacturers save time and money by eliminating costly errors and replacing some real-world testing with digital simulations.

The digital engineering used advanced computer modeling and simulation, along with cutting-edge technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, to quickly develop hardware blueprints that demonstrate how various configurations might perform in the real world without building a physical prototype. However, as this program has shown, that doesn’t mean unforeseen issues won’t slow the process. The Air Force further supported model-based engineering as the future of aircraft development and said it could save substantial time and money—yet the T-7A’s recent delays should not reflect poorly on digital engineering.

“The T-7A Red Hawk is the only digital, next-generation trainer on the market that possesses military certification and meets modern training, low-cost needs,” Boeing explained on its landing page for the Red Hawk. The defense contractor said that the digital design would enable “cost-effective integration of advanced training capabilities,” which would drastically improve pilot training for the next generation of fighter and bomber pilots.

“The T-38 is a true workhorse training Air Force fighter and bomber pilots for Air Education and Training Command, but the T-7A Red Hawk is a game changer, providing advanced mission systems, a glass touchscreen cockpit, stadium seating, and embedded training capability,” stated Col. Kirt Cassell, US Air Force T-7A program manager.

T-7A Red Hawk Specs

• Year Introduced: ~2028 (current timeline)
• Length: ~46 ft (14 m)
• Wingspan: ~30.6 ft (9.3 m)
• Fuel Capacity: 4,500 lbs (2,000 kgs)
• Service Ceiling: 45,000 – 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
• Engine: 1 General Electric F404-GE-103 afterburning turbofan
• Max Speed: Mach 0.975 (~748 mph / 1200 km/h)
• Max G-Force: 8 Gs
• Crew: 2 (pilot and instructor/passenger)

Replacing the T-38 Talon

The T-7A Red Hawk will eventually replace the T-38 Talon, a trainer whose service life has been extended multiple times. The Red Hawk isn’t just a new trainer, but part of a new training effort, the ACTC suggested.

“From day one, students won’t just be learning to fly; they’ll be learning to manage information, interpret data from advanced sensors, and make critical decisions in a complex environment, all from within the trainer,” said Maj. Gen. Gregory Kreuder, 19th Air Force commander. “This aircraft enables us to close the gap between basic pilot training and the realities of fifth-generation plus warfare, producing more capable, intuitive warfighters right out of the gate.”

As it is a digitally designed, modular program, the T-7A can be upgraded to incorporate new technologies far more easily than the Talon can.

Notably, that includes the “fly-by-wire design,” which the AETC explained will allow instructors to “tailor aircraft behavior throughout the syllabus.” For example, it could limit G-loads early in training and expand them as the student progresses in the program. It will offer opportunities to hone pilot skills that didn’t exist with the Talon.

“We will employ the T-7 in complex, multi-domain scenarios that were previously impossible in our training aircraft,” Kreuder added. “The challenge, then, is to adapt our training syllabi to leverage that new capability. We must avoid plugging our new jet into an old model. Therefore, we are actively developing our new curriculum from the ground up with a focus on data-driven and individualized learning paths.”

Training will thus evolve to one that puts a focus on “information-driven skills” that will be needed for next-generation aircraft. To that end, the T-7A is part of a larger training program that includes the Ground-Based Training System, which can reduce the number of sorties pilots must complete, thereby speeding training. The Red Hawk can also use the Live-Virtual Constructive environment to enable training between physical aircraft and simulators.

The T-7’s Program of Record calls for 351 Red Hawks and 46 simulators. The T-7A is now on track to reach initial operational capability in August 2027, with the first 14 aircraft assigned to the 99th FTS. It will be followed by deliveries to Columbus Air Force Base (AFB) in Fiscal 2027, Laughlin AFB in Fiscal 2032, Vance AFB in Fiscal 2034, and Sheppard AFB in Fiscal 2035.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: DVIDS.

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