BAE Systems, Boeing, and Saab are joining forces to offer the T-7A Red Hawk as the Royal Air Force’s fast-jet trainer, with final assembly and jobs in the United Kingdom.
Summary
BAE Systems has signed a letter of intent with Boeing and Saab to offer the T-7A Red Hawk as the future fast-jet trainer for the Royal Air Force. The trio intends to make the T-7 the backbone of a comprehensive fighter pilot training system, combining actual flights, advanced simulators, and a “live-virtual-constructive” environment. BAE Systems would lead the bid and provide final assembly in the UK, strengthening the UK supply chain and creating skilled jobs.
The aircraft, developed by Boeing and Saab to replace the T-38 Talon in the US Air Force, is a digital advanced training aircraft, designed from the outset to prepare pilots for 4th, 5th, and 6th generation aircraft. The US Air Force has already ordered 351 units for approximately $9.2 billion (around €8.5 billion), which legitimizes the platform, but the program has also experienced delays and technical adjustments.
For the RAF, this partnership is as much an operational choice as it is an industrial and political gamble: replacing an aging Hawk fleet, preserving a national industrial base, and remaining credible in the field of advanced training, while avoiding complete dependence on a foreign aircraft produced outside Europe.
The industrial partnership around the T-7A for the Royal Air Force
The basic information is clear: BAE Systems, Boeing, and Saab have signed a letter of intent to jointly meet the UK’s need for a fast-jet trainer. The T-7A Red Hawk would be proposed as a replacement for the Hawk T1/T2, with an offer structured around a complete training system.
The 2025 Strategic Defense Review confirmed the future withdrawal of the Hawk T1s from the Red Arrows patrol by 2030 and the need to replace the Hawk T2s used for advanced training. The UK Ministry of Defense has indicated its preference for a solution with a strong national industrial content, without imposing a requirement for an aircraft that is entirely “designed in Britain.”
In this context, the proposed configuration is politically astute:
- Boeing and Saab are providing a platform that has already been selected and funded by the US Air Force.
- BAE Systems is leading the bid, will carry out final assembly at a UK site, and is positioning itself as the point of reference for the RAF and export customers.
- The three partners are committed to developing a training system incorporating simulators, software, support, and ground training, and to developing the supply chain in the UK.
In concrete terms, this means that the aircraft would remain a T-7A in its fundamental architecture, but with a “British layer”: mission systems adapted to RAF requirements, integration of UK-specific NATO standards, and a significant proportion of components and MCO provided by local suppliers.
The T-7A Red Hawk, technical profile of a fast-jet trainer
The T-7A Red Hawk is a two-seat advanced trainer aircraft designed to replace the T-38 Talon in the US Air Force. It is the result of a joint Boeing-Saab development, initially under the name Boeing T-X.
In terms of figures, the T-7A has:
- a length of 14.3 m (46 ft 11 in),
- a wingspan of 9.32 m (30 ft 7 in),
- a height of 4.11 m (13 ft 6 in),
- a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 5,500 kg (12,125 lb),
- a General Electric F404 engine delivering up to 77 kN of thrust (17,200 lbf) with afterburner.
Its announced performance includes:
- a maximum speed of approximately 1,190 km/h (Mach 0.975, 742 mph),
- a service ceiling of 15,000 m (50,000 ft),
- a range of approximately 1,830 km (1,140 mi),
- a load limit of +8 g.
The airframe is optimized to simulate the flight profiles and constraints of modern fighter aircraft: rapid climb, high acceleration, high-angle maneuvers, and low-altitude profiles. The two-seat configuration, with a stadium seat (instructor slightly elevated), offers excellent visibility, which is useful for both training and safety.
One of the key points is the digital design philosophy: Boeing and Saab are promoting a comprehensive digital process, which has enabled them to move from design to first flight in 36 months, with simplified assembly (splice sections in around 30 minutes). On paper, this translates into lower production and maintenance costs and ease of platform evolution according to training needs.
The relevance of the T-7A for RAF fighter pilot training
The main challenge for the Royal Air Force is to train pilots who can make a seamless transition to the Typhoon, F-35B and, in the future, the Global Combat Air Program (Tempest) aircraft. The Hawk T1/T2, designed in the 1970s, has been adapted over time, but is reaching its limits in terms of avionics, simulation, and representativeness of modern cockpits.
The T-7A is positioned precisely in this niche:
- digital cockpit with touch screens, very similar to a 4.5ᵉ or 5ᵉ generation fighter;
- open avionics architecture (Open Mission Systems) allowing the integration of specific mission software, simulated threats or weapon profiles;
- ability to combine live flight training and complex virtual scenarios via embedded training.
The RAF/BAE/Boeing/Saab approach goes beyond the purchase of a simple training aircraft. The project describes:
- a training system integrating high-fidelity simulators,
- a “live-virtual-constructive” environment where the student can fly against simulated threats in real time,
- integration with future combat systems (Tempest/GCAP, collaborative drone systems).
From a purely technical point of view, the T-7 is not “revolutionary” in terms of raw performance (subsonic Mach, classic ceiling for a trainer). Where it breaks new ground is in the combination of aircraft + training system + digital openness. This is also what makes it attractive to a country that is preparing to operate highly sophisticated fighters over several decades.
Current customers and export prospects
At this stage, the only customer firmly committed to the T-7A is the US Air Force, with an order for 351 aircraft and options for up to approximately 475. The initial 2018 contract is estimated at nearly $9.2 billion (approximately €8.5 billion).
Several countries have been identified as potential targets: Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, and even certain European and Gulf states looking for a fast-jet trainer to prepare their fighter pilots for fleets of F-35s, Gripen E’s, or other aircraft.
For the moment, no other export contracts have been signed, which raises two questions:
- Is the T-7A sufficiently mature? The program has been criticized by the US Government Accountability Office on safety issues (ejection seats, software) and schedule delays; the USAF’s entry into operational service is now expected around 2027.
- The training aircraft market is highly competitive, with the Italian M-346, the South Korean T-50 Golden Eagle, the Turkish Hurjet, and modular projects such as Aeralis in the United Kingdom.
In this context, the agreement with BAE Systems and Saab for the RAF is vitally important for Boeing: success in the UK would give the T-7A immediate credibility in the European market and pave the way for other contracts, for example in countries already operating the Hawk or seeking a link with the GCAP.
The division of roles between BAE Systems, Boeing, and Saab
The letter of intent specifies the main roles:
- Boeing remains the prime contractor for the T-7A platform, its design, and overall support.
- Saab continues to produce fuselage sections and key subsystems, as is already the case for aircraft destined for the USAF.
- BAE Systems leads the bid for the RAF, oversees final assembly in the UK, and develops the integration of the training system and equipment specific to British requirements.
In concrete terms, we can anticipate:
- production of major sections in the United States and Sweden,
- transport of these sections to a BAE assembly line in the United Kingdom (probably around Warton or a site linked to the Hawk/GCAP program),
- local integration of mission systems, RAF-specific avionics, and associated simulators.
This approach follows a model that is already well established in defense aeronautics: sharing tasks according to expertise, but also political constraints. The UK obtains industrial jobs and partial control over the configuration, while partners maintain profitable production volumes at their sites.
Industrial and political challenges for the United Kingdom
Replacing the Hawk affects a powerful symbol of British industry: the Red Arrows aerobatic team and the long tradition of advanced training aircraft designed by BAE Systems. Switching to the T-7A, an aircraft developed through US-Swedish cooperation, is not without significance.
The option chosen—the T-7A with final assembly in the UK—is a compromise:
- London accepts that it will no longer have a 100% domestic trainer;
- in exchange, BAE Systems retains a central role and guarantees hundreds, if not thousands, of skilled jobs for the duration of the program (production and then in-service support).
It would be naive to see this partnership as a simple technical choice. British decision-makers are seeking to:
- maintain a sufficient volume of work for BAE sites in parallel with Tempest/GCAP;
- demonstrate strong industrial cooperation with the United States and Sweden, two key partners in air combat programs;
- capitalize on an aircraft already funded by the USAF to limit the risk of cost overruns.
The trade-off is greater dependence on the US supply chain (engines, avionics, software), with the risk of export restrictions or prioritization of deliveries to the US forces in the event of tension. This is the accepted price of a relatively pragmatic choice: rather than launching a new, costly, and risky national trainer, the RAF is relying on an already validated aircraft, while recovering a substantial share of the industrial benefits.
An important test for the RAF’s training strategy
This partnership around the T-7A is a full-scale test of the UK’s strategy for fighter pilot training. If successful, the RAF will have a system aligned with that of the USAF, which will facilitate the exchange of doctrines, instructors, and students, and improve interoperability.
But it also puts pressure on manufacturers:
- Boeing must prove that it can deliver a training program without the delays seen in recent years.
- Saab must show that its role is not limited to that of a subcontractor, but that it is a partner capable of innovating in training systems.
- BAE Systems must demonstrate that it can transform a foreign aircraft into an “RAF-compatible” solution while keeping costs under control and meeting deadlines.
For the RAF, the challenge is simple: to obtain a fast-jet trainer that truly prepares pilots for the threats and platforms of the 2030s and 2040s, not a weak compromise dictated by industrial interests. If the T-7A delivers on its promises in its British version, the country will consolidate its position as a major center for advanced training in Europe. If not, it will give ammunition to those who believe that dependence on imported solutions always ends up being costly.
Sources
Reuters – BAE Systems teams up with Boeing and Saab for UK jet trainer bid
Saab – “Saab, Boeing, and BAE Systems to collaborate on Next-Gen pilot training”
The War Zone – “T-7 Red Hawk Jet Trainer Offer To United Kingdom Includes Local Assembly”
Janes – “BAE Systems, Boeing, and Saab pitch T-7A jet trainer to UK”
Boeing – T-7A Red Hawk technical data sheet
Wikipedia – “Boeing–Saab T-7 Red Hawk”
UK Defence Journal – “BAE, Boeing and Saab offer T-7 for UK Hawk replacement”
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