During the International Fighter Conference in Madrid, a US Air Force official has revealed the service is considering a new, armed variant of the Boeing T-7A RED HAWK, called F-7, which could potentially replace old F-16s FIGHTING FALCON in some of its roles. A potential Request for Information (RFI) is ready to be submitted to the industry, including all the necessary requirements. Even if not confirmed by Boeing and SAAB, the T-7 was built with an open architecture and digital design, which could potentially allow an easy enhancement of its sensors and systems, opening the participation to other companies. Unofficially, Boeing has previously said that the T-7 could be the best ‘platform’ solution for replacing Northrop Grumman F-5 TIGER and Dassault/Dornier ALPHA JET, as light fighter.

The first of 5 T-7A Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) aircraft was accepted by USAF in September 2023, even if 2 prototypes have also completed over 500 flight hours as part of Boeing-SAAB development. The RED HAWK is the winner of the USAF requirement for having a modern training aircraft, to succeed the T-38C TALON, equipped with a wide range of technologies including data links, simulated radars, smart weapons, and defensive management systems. Turning training aircraft into light fighter is not new for the industry, also in recent times: South Korea’s FA-50 turned into the T-50, Italy’s M-346 or Britain’s HAWK are only other successful examples.

A fleet of potential F-7s could help the USAF to keep its current fighter force structure, with some slight changes. While not as advanced or powerful as a JSF F-35, or an F-22 RAPTOR, an F-7 could provide the same capability, in some scenarios, as a fourth-generation fighter.

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