The US Air Force has cleared the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk for production, moving the long-delayed advanced trainer program into its first low-rate production phase as the service prepares to replace its aging T-38 Talon fleet.
The Air Force approved Milestone C for the T-7A on April 23, 2026, and is moving ahead with a $219 million contract for the first 14 aircraft, along with spares, support equipment and training from Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
The decision marks a step forward for a program that the Air Force views as central to modernizing pilot training. The T-7A is expected to begin replacing Air Education and Training Command’s T-38 Talons in 2027. The T-38 has been in Air Force service for more than 60 years.
“Reaching Milestone C is a testament to the dedicated government and industry teams who have worked diligently to overcome complex technical hurdles,” William Bailey, Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, said in the Air Force announcement.
Bailey called the T-7A “a pivotal program for the future of our combat air forces” and said entering production brings the service closer to putting the aircraft into the hands of instructor pilots and students.
The T-7A is the first Air Force aircraft designed and built using all-digital methods, an approach intended to streamline development, production and sustainment. The aircraft is designed to give student pilots a more advanced training environment before they move into fourth-, fifth- and sixth-generation fighters and bombers.
The Air Force said the Milestone C decision is the first step in a phased production approach. The T-7A Program Office will seek separate approval for each of the first three low-rate initial production lots, allowing the service to incorporate results from ongoing developmental testing before committing to later lots.
“Receiving Milestone C approval is monumental,” Rodney Stevens, Program Executive Officer for Training and Director of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Training Directorate, said. “It signifies our confidence in the aircraft’s design and our readiness to begin producing this game-changing capability at rate with Air Education and Training Command.”
The broader program calls for 351 T-7A aircraft and 46 ground-based training simulators to be delivered to five AETC bases over the next decade.
Brig. Gen. Matthew Leard, Director of Plans, Programs, Requirements, and International Affairs at AETC, said replacing the T-38 remains a top priority for the command.
“Our mission is to train the next generation of combat aviators, and the T-7A Red Hawk is the tool we need to do it,” Leard said. “The T-7A’s advanced systems will give our students a far more realistic training environment, ensuring they are prepared for the cockpits of the future.”