USAF gives ‘Milestone C' production approval to T-7A trainer aircraft

A T-7A Red Hawk lands after flight at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in 2026. (US Air Force/Sean Worrell)

The US Air Force said on 4 May it had cleared the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk to enter production. The aircraft earned ‘Milestone C' approval on 23 April, enabling it to enter a production and deployment phase.

Rodney Stevens, program executive officer for training and director of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Training Directorate, said that Milestone C approval “signifies [the USAF's] confidence in the aircraft's design and our readiness to begin producing ... with Air Education and Training Command”.

The USAF said in a statement that it “is moving forward with” a USD219 million contract with Boeing for the first 14 aircraft, with future deliveries to increase to 351 T-7A aircraft and 46 ground-based training simulators over five Air Education and Training Command (AETC) bases across the next decade.

The fiscal year (FY) 2027 USAF budget request calls for 23 low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 2 T-7A aircraft for USD529.5 million, followed by 36 in FY 2028 for USD985.2 million. The funding would also acquire associated Ground Based Training Systems (GBTS), support equipment, and interim contractor support, according to budget documents.

The USAF said the T-7A programme office will seek approval for each of the first three LRIP lots individually, which is meant to help incorporate insights from ongoing developmental testing before committing to later production lots.

The USAF previously said that Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the T-7A will be achieved by 2027, beginning the task of training next-generation pilots in earnest.

Brigadier General Matthew A Leard, director of Plans, Programs, Requirements, and International Affairs for Air Education and Training Command (AETC), told Janes