Tag Archives: T-38 talon

The Everlasting Talon

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Living in the area code 228 green/dark space triangle between a series of Army (Fort Rucker), Navy (Pensacola, Meridian and Whiting Field NAS, plus Belle Chase NAS JRB), USAF (Keesler, Columbus and Eglin AFB), ANG (Gulfport), and AANG (Camp Shelby) training bases, it gets loud around here fairly often and there are school birds (T-38s, T-45s, TH-73s, T-6As, etc.) in the air up and down the beach and overhead almost every (mostly) sunny day.

I grew up with T-28s, T-34s, TH-57s, T-37s, and the lumbering old T-2 Buckeye, all common sights.

Take these Cold War classic warbirds into account, posed in front of ANG Gulfport’s circa-1942 USAAF “meatball” hangar during Sentry South 26 just a few weeks ago.

Six U.S. Air Force T-38 Talon aircraft assigned to the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base are parked on the flightline during exercise Sentry South 26-2, Gulfport, Mississippi, Feb. 25, 2026. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Dylan McCrink,102d Public Affairs Detachment  )

Of interest, the aircraft closest to the camera, with Columbus’s CB tail flash and camo scheme, is SN 66-4358, an airframe that is 60 years young this year! Constructed as a Northrop T-38A-65-NO, #358 was converted to T-38C standard at Boeing, Williams Gateway AP, Arizona in 2003, and is still trucking.

Speaking of which, despite the slow (but somewhat steady) rollout of the T-7 Redtail, which is supposed to replace the USAF’s 437 enduring T-38Cs, this is in yesterday’s DOD/DOW Contracts:

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, was awarded a ceiling $900,000,000 program indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for T-38 Avionics sustainment and support. This contract provides for total life cycle support for the T-38C Avionics System, ensuring the system remains current, airworthy, and capable of meeting mission requirements. Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi; Laughlin AFB, Texas; Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; Sheppard AFB, Texas; Vance AFB, Oklahoma; Holloman AFB, New Mexico; Edwards AFB, California; Patuxent River, Maryland; and St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2036. This contract was a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $56,199,728 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Legacy Training Aircraft Division, Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8220-26-D-B002). (Awarded March 31, 2026).

Sorry, no Peashooter II

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The Boeing/Saab T-X was selected on 27 September 2018 by the Air Force as the winner of the Advanced Pilot Training System program to replace the aging Cold War-era Northrop T-38 Talon. The downright cute little twin tail trainer will, in all likelihood, be around for decades provided it is successful.

The USAF currently has some 500~ T-38A/B/C models in inventory, with the newest example coming off the lines in 1972. It is envisioned that some 351 new T-X aircraft and 46 simulators are to be supplied by Boeing as part of the $9 billion program to put the venerable Talon to bed.

The T-X could also go on to be a sweet little scooter for budget air defense/COIN if given underwing hardpoints, after all, Saab runs the Gripen and in the past developed the Viggen, Draken, Lansen, and Tunnan, which all had a solid pedigree.

The T-X does look pretty sweet though.

Both of the current two Boeing T-Xs in flight.

While I suggested “T-60 Peashooter II” as a name update, in honor of Boeing’s last cute little combat-ish trainer, I have been overruled and the U.S. Air Force has named it the T-7A Red Hawk to honor the Tuskegee Airmen who famously flew the red-tailed North American P-51 Mustang in World War II (after working their way through P-39s, P-40s, and P-47s). The “Red Tails” of the 332nd Fighter Group were renowned for their work plastering Axis ground targets and successfully escorting B-17s and B-24s in the ETO in 1944 and 1945.

Which is better than the Peashooter II anyway.

 

Boeing’s T-X Begins EMD Flight Tests

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The Boeing/Saab T-X was selected on 27 September 2018 by the Air Force as the winner of the Advanced Pilot Training System program to replace the aging Cold War-era Northrop T-38 Talon. In the below, the downright cute little twin tail trainer makes it first, official Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) flight test in St. Louis, Mo.

The USAF currently has some 500~ T-38A/B/C models in inventory, with the newest example coming off the lines in 1972. It is envisioned that some 351 new T-X aircraft and 46 simulators are to be supplied by Boeing as part of the $9 billion program to put the venerable Talon to bed.

Both of the current two Boeing T-Xs in flight.

The T-X, which will hopefully get a cooler name at some point, could also go on to be a sweet little scooter for budget air defense/COIN if given underwing hardpoints, after all, Saab runs the Gripen and in the past developed the Viggen, Draken, Lansen, and Tunnan, which all had a solid pedigree. .

The T-X does look pretty sweet though. I vote for the T-60 Peashooter II as a name update, in honor of Boeing’s last cute little combat-ish trainer.

Boeing P-26 Peashooters of the 17th Pursuit Group at March Field, California in 1932. (U.S. National Archives Photograph.)