Boeing and Saab fly their new T-X aircraft

[Zarvan]

The first prototype for Boeing-Saab's T-X offering made its maiden flight on 20 December, with the second prototype set to do the same in early 2017. Source: Boeing-Saab

Boeing and Saab announced on 20 December the first flight of the new aircraft they have co-developed for the US Air Force's (USAF's) T-X training requirement.

The twin-seat single-engined aircraft made its 55-minute maiden sortie out of Boeing's St Louis facility in Missouri on the same day as the announcement, marking a major milestone in the joint development programme that is aiming to secure a potential USAF order for up to 350 new trainer aircraft to replace the service's ageing Northrop Grumman T-38 Talons.

Concurrent to this milestone, a second aircraft is undergoing ground trials ahead of its expected first flight in early 2017.

The Boeing-Saab aircraft, which was first revealed in September, features a single General Electric Aviation GE 404 engine, a 'glass' cockpit, and open systems architecture. While the president of Boeing's Phantom Works, Darryl Davis, has declined to provide details of the work split between Boeing and Saab, he has noted that features from both the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Saab Gripen combat aircraft influenced the new design.

Beyond Boeing-Saab, the USAF's T-X requirement is also being contested by Lockheed Martin-Korean Aerospace Industries with the T-50A; by Raytheon-Leonardo with the T-100 (a T-X-specific variant of the M-346); and by Northrop Grumman with a clean-sheet design. It was reported earlier in December that Sierra Nevada Corporation and Turkish Aerospace Industries are also planning to offer a clean sheet design, although a request for confirmation and details from IHS Jane's went unanswered.

Initial operating capability for the T-X platform is planned for 2024.

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