The U.S. Air Force has named its new Boeing-made T-X aircraft, with a public announcement at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference. Matthew Donovan, acting USAF secretary, announced the aircraft’s naming as the T-7A Red Hawk in National Harbor, Md., on Monday, the service branch said the same day.
“The name Red Hawk honors the legacy of Tuskegee Airmen and pays homage to their signature red-tailed aircraft from World War II,†Donovan said.
He unveiled unveiled a quarter-scale model of the T-X, now named T-7A Red Hawk, with a red-colored tail. The aircraft’s new name also honors the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, a fighter that served under the U.S. Army Air Forces’ first fighter squadron of African Americans.
USAF intends to use the T-7A trainer as a replacement for the existing T-38C Talon aircraft. Boeing secured a $9.2B contract last year to produce T-X aircraft under a partnership with Swedish firm Saab.
