Boeing Defense, Space & Security won the U.S. Air Force contract to supply the T-X Program for training jets and combat simulators, an order worth $9.2 billion. According to the USAF announcement, the contract calls for Boeing to deliver a total of 351 aircraft and 46 associated training devices, plus initial spare parts, support equipment, sustainment, and training services.
The winning bid was made jointly by Boeing and Saab AB, which designed, developed, and flight-tested two purpose-built jets to prove-out the design, repeatability in manufacturing, and training capability.
The Boeing T-X is described as a single-engine jet with a twin tail and tandem seating, and powered by a GE Aviation F404 turbofan engine. The aircraft is capable of in-flight refueling.
The contract includes the initial delivery order for engineering and manufacturing development worth $813.4 million, which will allow Boeing to begin placing orders with its suppliers, including Saab. Boeing noted that over 90% of the aircraft will be made in the U.S.
Saab president and CEO Håkan Buskhe called the contract award “a major accomplishment for our partnership with Boeing and our joint team, and I look forward to delivering the first trainer aircraft to the Air Force.”
The maximum quantity of aircraft and training devices the Air Force can purchase under this indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract is 475 aircraft and 120 ground-based training systems. The contract is expected to be complete by 2034.
“Today’s announcement is the culmination of years of unwavering focus by the Boeing and Saab team,” stated Leanne Caret, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “It is a direct result of our joint investment in developing a system centered on the unique requirements of the U.S. Air Force. We expect T-X to be a franchise program for much of this century.”
