The Air Force is expected to go to the Defense Acquisition Board this summer with a plan to buy as many as 500 new advanced T-X trainer aircraft to replace the T-38, according to service and industry officials. The service would like the first batch of new trainers to go operational in late 2017. A recent analysis of alternatives suggested that an off-the-shelf trainer, rather than a clean-sheet design or yet another T-38 life extension, was the right way to go, said the officials. Michael Griswold, Lockheed Martin business development director for the Lockheed Martin-Korea Aerospace Industries T-50 trainer, said USAF hasn’t decided yet exactly how many trainers it wants, as it is deciding how many ancillary missions the new aircraft would fulfill (e.g., lead-in fighter training, aggressor training). Griswold said Lockheed would offer the T-50 trainer, which it helped KAI design and which bears a resemblance to the F-16. South Korea has already built 70 T-50s, is building 20 TA-50 lightly armed versions, and is close to signing up for 60 F/A-50 more capable combat versions, he said. Lockheed is shopping for a US facility where it would build the aircraft.
The U.S. thwarted a drone attack on U.S. forces at Al Asad air base in western Iraq on April 22, marking the first time that American troops have been targeted since February, U.S. officials said. “We can confirm it was an attack on Al Asad,” a defense official told Air & Space…