On April 28, 2022, a ceremony of rolling out and presentation of the first Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced training aircraft built for the US Air Force, an experimental batch of the EMD stage (EPD and manufacturing development), in the amount of five aircraft designed to be carried out, in accordance with Russian terminology, took place at the Boeing Corporation enterprise in St. Louis, "state tests" before being put into service. This aircraft became the third T-7A flight model built.
Presentation of the first Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced training aircraft built for the US Air Force of the experimental batch of the EMD stage (Epdipeegipd and manufacturing development). St. Louis, 04/28/2022 (c) Boeing
Recall that in September 2018, a new type of T-X aircraft jointly developed by Boeing and the Swedish Saab AB group won the US Air Force tender for a promising training aircraft under the T-X program, designed to replace the Northrop T-38 Talon advanced training aircraft. As a result of the results of the competition, Boeing received a US Air Force contract worth $ 813 million for R&D, manufacture, supply, testing and testing of five prototype T-X aircraft and seven ground simulators as part of the EMD (EPD and manufacturing development) phase, with delivery to San Antonio Randolph Air Base (Texas) in Fiscal year 2023 (that is, from October 1, 2022). At the same time, Boeing received a framework contract worth $ 9.2 billion for the supply of 351 serial T-X aircraft, 46 ground simulators and related ground equipment. In September 2019, the aircraft received the official designation of the US Air Force T-7A Red Hawk.
Boeing and the Swedish Saab group took part in the tender officially launched by the US Air Force in 2013 under the T-X program with the proposal of a jointly developed jet training aircraft of a completely new design as part of the Advanced Pilot Training System. Its development was started in 2013. The official presentation of the first built prototype of the Boeing T-X (VTH-1; registration N381TX) was made at the Boeing plant in St. Louis (former McDonnell Douglas plant) on September 13, 2016, its first flight took place on December 20, 2016. Almost simultaneously, a second flight prototype was built (VTH-2, registration N382TX). By January 2022, both prototypes had completed a total of 400 flights.
Presented on April 28, 2022, the first T-7A aircraft of the EMD series, which became the third flight copy in general, carried the markings of the 99th Training Aviation Squadron of the 12th Training Wing from San Antonio Randolph Air Base at the presentation. In fact, as reported, this first aircraft will be sent for testing to the 416th Training Aviation Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base (California).
The T-7A aircraft is two-keeled and looks like a kind of single-engine version of the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter. The aircraft is equipped with one engine of the General Electric F404 series. In accordance with the requirements of the T-X program, the aircraft must provide realistic advanced flight training for pilots corresponding to the characteristics of "4+" and fifth-generation fighters.
Serial production of the T-7A aircraft will be carried out at the Boeing plant in St. Louis. Saab AB, as a contractor, will be responsible for the production of the fuselage and a number of other airframe elements, which should mainly be carried out at the new plant in West Lafayette (Indiana), although the rear part of the fuselage will be manufactured in Sweden. The achievement of the initial operational readiness (IOC) of the first combat squadron of T-7A aircraft in the US Air Force is scheduled for the end of fiscal year 2024.
Presentation of the first Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced training aircraft built for the US Air Force of the experimental batch of the EMD stage (Epdipeegipd and manufacturing development). St. Louis, 04/28/2022 (c) Boeing
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