Air Force Materiel Command is looking to replace the wings on the service’s aging T-38 trainers. The command issued a sources sought synopsis Tuesday to notify interested contractors of an upcoming buy, which is expected to result in a five to 10-year contract that will call for 12 to 24 wings per year. The service expects to replace the T-38 Talon, first produced in the 1960s, with a new trainer, dubbed the T-X, that will reach initial operational capability by 2024. (See also: Pilot Training for the Future from the September 2016 issue of Air Force Magazine)
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.