On Dec. 20, 2016, the first digitally designed, engineered, and built Boeing T-X advanced trainer recorded its first flight from St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The 55-minute sortie validated key aspects of the jet’s model-based design and demonstrated its performance. On Sept. 27, 2018, the U.S. Air Force awarded a production contract to Boeing, and a year later announced the jet would be designated the T-7A Red Hawk in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen, who flew their WWII aircraft with signature red tails. The first T-7A Red Hawk complete with its red tails rolled out April 28, 2022.
For the Air Force and Space Force, an influx of additional resources could be an opportunity to accelerate a massive modernization portfolio and ramp up aircraft and satellite production, defense analysts and former officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
