US Air Force Welcomes First T-7 Red Hawk Jet Trainer for Next-Gen Pilots

The US Air Force has taken delivery of its first operational T-7 Red Hawk jet trainer. The advanced aircraft, built by Boeing, arrived at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph on December 5. This marks the start of a new training era for pilots flying fifth-generation fighters and stealth bombers. The journey of the first T-7 began on December 3, when Lt. Col. Michael 'Hyde' Trott flew the trainer from Boeing’s St. Louis factory to Sheppard Air Force Base. Two days later, Lt. Col. Phillip 'Clean' Bourquin piloted the same aircraft from Sheppard to Randolph, where it will serve with the 99th Flying Training Squadron.

Before the jet’s arrival, instructors at the 99th had already logged extensive time in T-7 simulators. Their input, alongside Boeing and the Air Force’s T-7 program office, helped shape the jet’s manuals and training courses. The squadron will now use the T-7 to prepare instructor pilots, focusing on skills like basic fighter maneuvers, often called 'dogfighting'. The T-7 is the Air Force’s first new jet trainer in decades, designed to train pilots for advanced aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the upcoming B-21 Raider stealth bomber. Testing and evaluation will begin in summer 2027, with full operational capability expected by late summer that year. The first students are set to fly the T-7 in fall 2027.

The T-7 Red Hawk will replace older training jets and modernise pilot instruction for next-generation combat aircraft. Its arrival at Randolph signals the start of a new phase in Air Force training, with operational flights and student instruction planned within the next three years.