A fleet of 22 former Swiss Air Force Northrop F-5E/F fighters acquired by the U.S. Navy will enter a modification phase to serve as adversary aircraft to train naval and Marine Corps pilots, Naval Air Systems Command said on July 14.
Boeing has redesigned components of the T-7A Red Hawk trainer aircraft after tests showed how a bird strike against the cockpit canopy would endanger the pilot.
The U.S. Air Force has formally activated a new aggressor squadron of Lockheed Martin F-35As, highlighting a recent switch to stealth aircraft for a dedicated combat training role.
A botched formation approach caused two T-38s to crash upon landing in November 2021 at Laughlin AFB, Texas, shortly after the U.S. Air Force had banned formation landings of the aircraft because of another fatal crash.
The U.S. Air Force has decided to not renew an ongoing contract with Draken International for adversary air training at Nellis AFB, Nevada, because it has determined the contractor’s jets can no longer provide the effective training it needs.
Since the A-29 Super Tucano took its first flight at the end of the last century, it has impressed the military with its performance, flexibility and robustness as a light attack aircraft and advanced trainer.
Boeing on April 28 unveiled the first T-7A Red Hawk trainer for the U.S. Air Force, though the aircraft will remain at the company’s St. Louis facility for more ground and flight tests before being handed over to the service.
The contract awards come as the UK retires the majority of its Hawk T1 fleet as part of cost-saving measures introduced in the government’s Integrated Review published last year.
The surprise decision follows the appearance of the jet trainer at last year’s Dubai Airshow, and would make the UAE the first Middle Eastern customer for the platform.
The U.S. Navy is open to forming a joint program with the U.S. Air Force for the Tactical Surrogate Aircraft, and basing the platform on a common derivative of a future training jet to replace the Boeing/BAE Systems T-45 Goshawk.