Boeing said Friday that quality problems with parts slated for the T-7A Red Hawk training jet mean it will delay delivering the next test aircraft to the Air Force. The delay means that Boeing is now planning to start low-rate initial production on the T-7 in mid-2024, several months later than the company’s original plan.
Boeing’s contract with the Air Force requires it to deliver the fourth and fifth engineering and manufacturing development jets in December 2023 and January 2024, but the faulty parts problem will cause delays. Boeing expects to deliver the fourth jet later this month, and the fifth jet around March or April.
The Air Force plans to buy 351 T-7s from Boeing by 2034 to replace its fleet of aging T-38 jet trainers. Boeing is now assembling the new T-7 production line at its St. Louis facility, and Boeing expects that to be done by mid-2024. The Air Force expects to make a Milestone C decision on whether to produce the T-7 in February 2025, and for deliveries to start in December 2025.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
