Swedish manufacturer Saab has secured a significant contract from Boeing to manufacture aft fuselage systems for the T-7A Red Hawk, a jet trainer jointly developed for the needs of the US Air Force (USAF).
The order, valued at $101.7 million (approximately SEK1 billion), was signed during the fourth quarter of 2023.
The manufacturing of T-7A aft fuselage systems will take place at Saab’s facility in West Lafayette, Indiana.
“What we are building is the most modern and forward-looking advanced pilot training system on the market and I am confident that this is a programme that will deliver aircraft for many years to come,” Lars Tossman, Head of Saab’s Aeronautics business area, commented.
“This order ensures the ramp-up of serial production to meet both current and future customers’ increased needs,” Tossman added.
The T-7A Red Hawk is an advanced jet trainer dedicated to training the next generation of fighter and bomber pilots of the USAF. It will replace the older Northrop T-38 Talon twinjet trainer. In 2018, the USAF awarded Boeing a $9.2 billion contract for 351 T-7A advanced trainers.
The first two T-7A Red Hawks were delivered to USAF bases to conduct flight tests as part of the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the program. The initial T-7A was delivered to Edwards Air Force Base, California, while the second found its home at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.