The US Defense Contract Management Agency has taken delivery of the first replacement wing for a US Air Force Northrop T-38 trainer from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
Delays to the launch of the air force's replacement T-X trainer contest mean that the service is extending operations of its twin-engined T-38Cs. "Potential orders under the contract between the USAF air force and IAI could reach over 200 sets of T-38 wings," the company says. Handing over the first shipset marks the completion of the first phase of the programme, which now enters its serial production phase.
IAI describes the production task as having been "a challenging process, which included reverse engineering and having to transform the original T-38 drawings into advanced 3D models" in co-operation with the USAF's programme office for the type.
Israel Aerospace Industries
Flightglobal's MiliCAS database records the USAF as having a current active fleet of 492 T-38A/C Talon trainers.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
