Raytheon and Leonardo announced they have decided to withdraw their T-100 trainer aircraft from the U.S. Air Force Advanced Pilot Training T-X program competition. Raytheon had stated that if their T-100 had been chosen to replace the T-38 trainer they would have built and tested the aircraft in the United States.
“In February 2016, Raytheon and Leonardo announced their intent to team on the T-X pursuit. While we remain confident that the T-100 is a strong solution, our companies were unable to reach a business agreement that is in the best interest of the U.S. Air Force,” said B.J. Boling, Raytheon spokesperson. “Consequently, Raytheon and Leonardo will not jointly pursue the T-X competition.” – Raytheon
At the 2016 Farnborough Airshow Raytheon had introduced their complete T-100 Training System.
The Air Force’s T-X program had originally planned to replace the T-38 trainer in 2017. Budget cutbacks have forced a delay in the program causing initial operational capability to now be 2024.
Boeing and Saab, Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries, and Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems remain active in the T-X competition.
Featured image by Raytheon