Through a statement published on official channels earlier this week, the United States Air Force (USAF) announced that it has brought into service the first of its new T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainers, which will become the new standard for pilot training within the service. The official reception ceremony was held at Joint Base San Antonio–Randolph in Texas, home to the 99th Flying Training Squadron (part of the 12th Flying Training Wing), which thus formally becomes the first unit to operate this type of aircraft.
Quoting some of the official remarks delivered during the ceremony by Lieutenant General Clark J. Quinn, Commander of Air Education and Training Command (AETC): “The T-7 is not simply a modern update. It is a generational leap that will be an important part of AETC for decades to come. The arrival of the T-7A is not the finish line. It marks the beginning of the work ahead to deliver training that produces pilots who are ready and capable for the future of the Air Force.”
It is worth recalling at this point that the new T-7A Red Hawk aircraft are intended to replace the aging T-38 Talon, which has been used by the U.S. Air Force to train more than sixty thousand pilots since the 1960s. In this regard, the new platform arrives equipped with a high degree of digital systems, modern avionics, and an open systems architecture that will facilitate the integration of future advancements. The intent, as described by the USAF itself, is to provide future pilots with a tool that streamlines their transition to fifth-generation aircraft, and later to sixth-generation aircraft once they become part of U.S. fleets.
Along these lines, it is useful to note that the new platform has been promoted for the U.S. Air Force since 2016, with the presentation of the first prototype developed by Boeing and Saab. Selected for its role in 2018, the aircraft is characterized by a GE Aerospace F404 turbofan engine capable of generating up to 77 kN of thrust, as well as a tandem cockpit that allows the pilot to fly alongside an instructor. With these and other qualities, the aircraft has also been chosen by BAE Systems as a candidate to supply the Royal Air Force, which is seeking a replacement for the Hawk T1/T2.
For the time being, the 12th Flying Training Wing will move forward with integrating the new platform into USAF training programs, with the goal of refining training concepts through the aircraft’s capabilities and laying the groundwork for other units to follow suit. In the words of the commander of the 99th Flying Training Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Trott: “The 99th Squadron will redefine pilot training and shape the future of pilot training for the next generation of American warfighters.”
Image credits: U.S. Air Force
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