User:SidewinderX/Sandbox/T-X program



The T-X program has been established to enable the United States Air Force to buy a new two-seat jet trainer for fighter and fighter/bomber training to replace the aging Northrop T-38 Talon. The average age of the T-38 fleet is over 43.5 years. About 350 aircraft are expected to be ordered to replace the T-38, but further purchases could push the overall purchase to over 1,000. Although the program requirements are not expected to be announced until 2012, the notional in-service date for the replacement trainer is 2017.

History
The USAF's Air Education and Training Command (AETC) has been developing requirements for the T-38 replacement program since 2003. Originally, the replacement trainer was expected to enter service around 2020. However, a fatigue failure in 2008 killed the two person crew, advancing the target service date to 2017.

Requirements
One of the driving requirements for the new trainer will be to help prepare pilots for the increased complexity in some areas, particularly information management, that are a part of fifth generation jet fighters like the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. The aircraft and simulation system will have to fulfill several basic training roles; basic aircraft control, airmanship, formation, instrument and navigation, advanced air-to-air, advanced air-to-ground, and advanced crew/cockpit resource management. Furthermore, there are five advanced training roles that the system is expected to fulfill; sustained high-G operations, aerial refueling, night vision imaging systems operations, air-to-air intercepts, and data-link operations. The 2009 Request For Information (RFI) mentions that some tasks, such as aerial refueling, may be performed in the simulator and not on the aircraft itself.

Additionally, while the RFI is specifically for a USAF trainer, it asks potential suppliers about the feasiblily of a fighter/attack variant of the aircraft and a carrier-capable variant for the United States Navy. However, the requirements manager for the program, Dave McDonald, has stated that it is unlikely that potential combat performance will be considered. Similarly, while Navy officials will be participating in some stages of the program, carrier suitablity will not be part of the evaluation.

Potential competitors
Although the formal request for proposals has not been released, several competitors are expected to submit proposals. Several companies are expected to submit exisiting aircraft and others are considering all new designs. Those expected to propose existing aircraft are Alenia Aermacchi with the M-346 Master, Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed Martin with the T-50 Golden Eagle, and BAE Systems with the Hawk. Boeing is said to be considering several options, including a new aircraft. However, Boeing may be a desirable partner for either BAE or Alenia Aermacchi; Boeing already partners with BAE on the T-45 Goshawk variant of the Hawk for the U.S. Navy and they have a partnership with Alenia to market the M-346 internationally. Northrop Grumman may consider a "clean sheet" design as well, or they may propose a major service life extension program to keep the T-38s flying for several more years.

Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master
Italian aerospace company Alenia Aermacchi plans on bidding its M-346 Master for the T-X program. The company had initially considered submitting the aircraft as the prime contractor, but changed its mind in 2010. It is now searching for a U.S. partner to bid with. The company also rebranded the aircraft as the T-100 Integrated Training System for the competition. Alenia anticipates moving the final assembly location from Italy to the United States if it wins the competition.

BAE Hawk
BAE Systems is proposing the Hawk T2/128 for the T-X program. BAE would like to propose the Hawk "as is" with little or no modification. Although the basic Hawk design dates back more than 36 years, BAE is counting on a low-risk, low-cost strategy for the competition. BAE announced they were planning to bid as the prime contractor in September 2009.

KAI T-50 Golden Eagle
Lockheed Martin, along with KAI, plan to propose their T-50 for the T-X program. While the T-50 was explicitly designed and built for the South Korean trainer requirement, Lockheed Martin officials have acknowledged that the aircraft was designed with replacing the T-38 in mind. The T-50 may also have an advantage, as Lockheed also builds the F-22 and F-35, the aircraft the new trainer is supposed prepare pilots for. Lockheed anticipates proposing the T-50 few changes, mostly avionics related. They are considering moving the assembly location to the United States, from South Korea, if they win the contract.