Boeing and Saab win $9.2bn contract to build the US Air Force’s next training jet

The US-based aircraft manufacturing company, Boeing, and Sweden-based, Saab, have been awarded a $9.2bn contract to build the US Air Force’s next generation training jet.

The partnership will see the Air Force purchase 351 jets with full operational capability by 2034 in a move which enables the service to modernize its fleet of aircraft.

Håkan Buskhe, president and CEO of Saab, said: “This selection allows our two companies to deliver on a commitment we jointly made nearly five years ago.”

“It is a major accomplishment for our partnership with Boeing and our joint team, and I look forward to delivering the first trainer aircraft to the Air Force.”

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The new trainer aircraft will act as a direct replacement for the US military’s current T-38 trainers which have been in operation since the 1960s.

Leanne Caret, president and CEO of Boeing Defence, Space & Security, said: “The announcement is the culmination of years of unwavering focus by the Boeing and Saab team.”

“It is a direct result of our joint investment in developing a system centered on the unique requirements of the U.S. Air Force. We expect T-X to be a franchise program for much of this century.”

It becomes the third major victory by the company in a month after Boeing was awarded an $805mn contact to create the Navy’s first four MQ-25 unmanned tankers, in addition to a $2.38bn deal to produce the Air Force’s Huey replacement helicopter.