Boeing says they are producing around 400 T-7 Red Hawk that they designed for US Air Force for pilot training.
Rick Lemaster, Senior Regional Director at Boeing told DefenseHere the design that won a 2019 competition is an aircraft to do a basic training mission.
Lamaster said “This is a way to do that much more economically than in F-15s or F-35 or other frontline fighter aircraft. Though, as you take somebody into a turboprop aircraft, you teach them how to fly, and then we put them into a jet and we teach them how to fly really fast and really high.”
In addition to the U.S. Air Force, Lamaster said Boeing is talking to many countries around the world by using T-7 as a trainer aircraft.
He said “We also think it’s got the ability to be modified to turn into a light combat aircraft downstream. Our focus now is to deliver the trainer. But downstream, we see lots of opportunity with this aircraft and then we’ll continue to talk with other countries about how you now make it even better going forward.”
It has been reported that the U.S. Air Force is considering an armed version of the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk to replace older F-16 fighter jets, but no official statement has been made.