All eyes focus on U.S. trainer contest
Northrop’s venerable T-38 Talon supersonic trainer entered service with the U.S.

Northrop’s venerable T-38 Talon supersonic trainer entered service with the U.S. Air Force in March 1961 and has provided the advanced portion of the service’s training syllabus ever since. Over 1,100 were delivered and more than 450 remain in service.

The T-38C avionics upgrade program was begun in 2001 and, combined with the Pacer Classic structural and systems overhaul program, was intended to see the Talon through to at least 2020. However, a fatal accident two years ago was the catalyst for a plan to accelerate the T-38’s replacement, with a new planned in-service date of 2017.

Loading…