JANUARY 14, 2026 – Air Education and Training Command hosted an arrival ceremony Jan. 9 for the T-7A Red Hawk, the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation trainer aircraft, marking a significant milestone in the service’s effort to modernize pilot training.
The ceremony marks the delivery from The Boeing Company to Air Education and Training Command. The 99th Flying Training Squadron, assigned to the 12th Flying Training Wing, is the first Air Force unit to receive the T-7A.
Senior Air Force leaders and industry partners attended and spoke at the event, including Lt. Gen. Scott Pleus, acting vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force; Lt. Gen. Clark J. Quinn, AETC commander; and Daniel Gillian, Boeing Air Defense vice president and general manager.
“The T-7 isn’t simply a modern upgrade,” Quinn said. “It’s a generational leap that will be an important part of AETC for decades to come.”
The T-7A is replacing the aging T-38 Talon, which has served as the Air Force’s primary jet trainer for more than six decades. The T-7A incorporates advanced digital engineering, modern avionics and open-systems architecture intended to evolve alongside future training requirements and emerging technologies.
“The arrival of the T-7A is not the finish line,” Quinn said. “It marks the beginning of the work ahead to deliver training that produces ready, capable pilots for the future of the Air Force.”
According to Pleus, the Red Hawk is the essential training aircraft needed to advance the Air Force’s pilot training to the next level for 5th and 6th generation assets. He explained that this new platform will allow student pilots to learn the complex task management required in modern fighters, thanks to its advanced digital design and superior flight capabilities.
Col. Peter Lee, 12th Flying Training Wing commander, said it’s more than just introducing a new aircraft.
“It is about establishing an enterprise-wide training foundation that other wings will rely on as they develop the next generation of Air Force pilots,” he said.
The 12th Flying Training Wing oversees a broad range of flying training missions, and the addition of the T-7A further reinforces the installation’s role in shaping the future of Air Force aviation. As the first unit to receive the aircraft, the 99th Flying Training Squadron, whose lineage goes back to the Tuskegee Airmen, will lead early operational efforts, helping refine training concepts and setting the conditions for follow-on T-7A units across the Air Force.
“The 99th will re-write what pilot production looks like and shape the future of pilot training for the next generation of warfighters for America,” said Lt. Col. Michael Trott, 99th FTW commander.
The advanced capabilities of the T-7A are a strategic imperative to the Air Force’s long-term readiness and the service’s ability to fly, fix and fight the nation’s wars.
By Sean Worrell
Air Education and Training Command