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Trainer & light attack

United States

Boeing

T-7A Red Hawk

Advanced jet trainer developed by Boeing and Saab to replace the T-38 Talon in U.S. Air Force pilot training, designed digitally with a focus on preparing pilots for fifth-generation fighters.

In service since 2023 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

💲 ≈ $32,000,000, Approximate unit procurement cost

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

US ITAR-controlled

Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.

Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2023. Status: active · ~5 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

$80M – $112M

Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~25 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Powerplant

The T-7A Red Hawk's engine has its own full spec page.

General Electric F404

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.	0.97 Mach Stronger than 65% of trainers
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.	15,000 m Stronger than 84% of trainers

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	14.2 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.	9.6 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.	4.3 m
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.	2

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Engine Powerplant model and type.	General Electric F404-GE-402 turbofan
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.	1
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Turbofan

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.	$32,000,000
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	5 Stronger than 11% of trainers
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	1 Stronger than 13% of trainers

Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

Compare with rivals

See how it stacks up

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T-7A Red Hawk Yak-130

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Frequently asked questions

How many crew does the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk require? +

The Boeing T-7A Red Hawk requires a crew of 2.

What engine does the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk use? +

The Boeing T-7A Red Hawk is powered by the General Electric F404-GE-402 turbofan.

How many countries operate the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk? +

The Boeing T-7A Red Hawk is operated by 1 countries.

How much does the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk cost? +

The Boeing T-7A Red Hawk has an approximate unit cost of 32,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.