RFX Contract Revives USAF Hopes For Losing T-X Aircraft

[Jackonicko]

RFX Contract Revives USAF Hopes For Losing T-X Aircraft
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RFX Contract Revives USAF Hopes For Losing T-X Aircraft

Eighteen months after Boeing/Saab team won the T-X contract, the T-50 and M-346 continue to compete for USAF deals.

 

[Jackonicko]

Steve Trimble tweeted that: "Remember the T-X competition? The two losing aircraft -- T-50 and M-346 -- are now fighting for another Air Force contract called RFX, except ACC already has declared the T-50 as the favorite."

 

[riggerrob]

Lawyer-speak for "sore-losers."

 

[fightingirish]

Here two quotes from Steve's Twitter feed:

RFX is all about laying the groundwork for shaking up how the USAF trains fighter and bomber pilots once the T-7A arrives, so by definition it’s not available. [...] It’s a five-year demo to validate the Reforge CONOP for pilot training. Eight aircraft, maximum. And not acquired but purchased as a service.

Thanks for your help, Jackonicko!

[...]ACC intends to pursue a Reforge Proof of Concept (RFX) support acquisition to: 1) validate the CONOP and 2) assist in defining necessary capabilities on the F/T-7X. For the RFX, ACC requires 4-8 advance trainers with similar capabilities to the T-7, to provide approximately 3000 sorties/4500 flight hours annually for 4 years 364 days.[...]

US DoD source: https://govtribe.com/opportunity/federal-contract-opportunity/reforge-project-fa489020r0011

"F/T-7X" I know, X is a placeholder, but "F/T", what a designation, sound more Navy than USAF. IMHO "T-7B" would be better, and later on the "T-7C for the USN as a successor for the T-45 Goshawk.