Columbus Air Force Base plans to phase out its fleet of T-38C Talon Flight training program aircraft with up to 77 new T-7A Red Hawk jets and begin its training missions in 2028.
During a public hearing Oct. 25, Air Force T-7A project manager Christopher Garcia, and CAFB personnel presented an environmental impact statement detailing the need for the new jets to replace the aging Talons, which have been used since the 1970s.
“The biggest difference" between the aircraft is that the T-7A and "flies at a much slower approach speed versus," which, in theory, makes it "easier to fly,” Garcia said.
As technology increases, the AF needs the newer jets to fly with fourth and fifth-generation fighters. "This T-7A should bridge the gap.”
The plan would phase out 85 T-38Cs from 2028-30. Flight ops for the T-7A would begin in 2028 and reach full capacity in 2030, consisting of 595 overnight training missions from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The T-7As allows pilots to use night vision goggles that can't be done with T-38Cs. The plan includes 11 construction and renovation projects to base facilities to accommodate the T-7As, including new hangar bays for storage and maintenance facilities. Those projects would begin after a plan is approved in 2024. Garcia said cost estimates aren’t available yet. CAFB currently conducts 139,284 sorties annually with T-38Cs. With the T-7A, the base would conduct 94,869 to 118,592 training sorties. The base currently trains about 475 new pilots per year, according to its website. The EIS reads that the most significant impact to people living near the base would be the addition of nighttime flying missions but would not cause a net increase in noise pollution or impact on residents. The planes will be provided by Boeing, which received a $9.2 billion contract to construct 651 aircraft. (The Dispaatch 10/27/23) New jets to replace T-38Cs at CAFB by 2028 - The Dispatch (cdispatch.com)
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