Mary-Louise Hoffman
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Dwyer Dennis has said a budget-related postponement of the T-X trainer replacement initiative allowed the military service to rethink the program’s acquisition and requirements process, Aviation Week reported Monday.
Amy Butler writes Dennis, director of global reach programs in the Air Force’s office of the assistant secretary for acquisition, told the magazine the branch also engaged industry in dialogue to measure program cost estimates against the required technology.
Dennis, expects the Air Force to request proposals for T-X aircraft development in the fourth quarter of this year and award a contract in the fall of 2017, according to the magazine.
The contract would also cover ground training systems and instructional materials, the report said.
Aviation Week identified these teams as vying to build the Air Force’s future trainer aircraft:
- Boeing and Saab
- Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries
- Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems
- Textron AirLand
Alenia Aermacchi aims to find a new partner following General Dynamics‘ decision to abandon its pursuit for the program as a prime contractor, Butler writes.
