The Air Force issued a new request for information on Wednesday to refine its search for a future trainer aircraft to replace the 50-year-old T-38 fleet starting in 2017. Building upon the first RFI, this new solicitation requests more specific information from potential vendors. The Air Force envisions a high-performance, two-seat military jet platform as part of an advanced family of systems to train future fighter and bomber pilots. Along with the new aircraft, the training system would feature full-fidelity simulators, courseware, and other virtual/computer-based training applications. The service wants this future system capable of teaching pilots sustained high-G operations, air-refueling, night vision imaging systems operations, air-to-air intercepts, and data-link operations. The trainer aircraft itself must not be capable of all of these functions, as some could be handled in a full-fidelity simulator, the Air Force noted.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.