US Air Force seeks avionics upgrades for ageing T-38 Talon as T-7A Red Hawk delays persist
US Air Force T-38 Talon. (Photo: US Air Force)
The USAF is looking for commercial avionics solutions to improve the T-38 Talon’s reliability, readiness and flight safety as continued T-7A Red Hawk delays increase the likelihood that the legacy trainer will remain in service longer than planned.
The US Air Force (USAF) is seeking suppliers of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and non-developmental items to upgrade its Northrop Grumman T-38 Talon fleet. Part of the Low-cost Avionics Modernisation Programme II (LAMP II), the effort is intended to ensure the trainer’s availability while its replacement, the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk, is being fielded.
Produced between 1961 and 1972, the twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet has served as the USAF’s primary advanced trainer for more than six decades. According to the service, it currently prepares pilots to fly aircraft including the F-22 Raptor, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-1B Lancer and
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