The T-X in hangar. (Image courtesy of Boeing.)
The new jet fighter trainer, named the Boeing T-X, aims at replacing the US Air Force (USAF)’s aging fleet of T-38 fighter trainers, set to be retired by 2024.
The single-engine T-X was designed by Boeing and Saab engineers to be capable of preparing aviators who will pilot the Service’s F-22 and F-35 fighters throughout the 21st century.
According to Boeing, the T-X has “twin tails, stadium seating and an advanced cockpit with embedded training. The system also offers state-of-the-art ground-based training and a maintenance-friendly design for long-term supportability.”
Additionally, Boeing has insisted that the T-X is the training platform of the future because it utilizes the “latest technologies, tools and manufacturing techniques” in aerospace engineering. In addition to the technologies that the T-X currently has onboard, the aircraft has been designed to accommodate upgrades to keep pace with the state-of-the-art in aircraft technology.
Though the T-X appears to be a compelling platform, the competition for the minimum 350 aircraft order is far from over. Boeing and Saab still need to best Lockheed Martin/Korea Aerospace Industries, Northrop Gumman and a partnership between Raytheon and Alenia Aerimacchi in a multi-billion-dollar dogfight.
For more jet fighter news, find out what “combat ready” means for a troubled fighter jet.