The troubled Boeing T-7A advanced jet trainer programme has taken a step forward with a successful test of its new escape system.
The work took place at Holloman AFB, New Mexico on 16 April, and saw two mannequins undergo an ejection from a sled that simulated an airspeed of 450kt (833km/h), meeting all objectives, according to the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.
“Initial results demonstrate that the system kept both lighter-weight and heavier-weight test mannequins safe, showcasing significant improvements in pilot safety,” says the US Air Force (USAF).
The T-7A uses two of the new ACES 5 ejection seats from Collins Aerospace. The RTX subsidiary was awarded a sole source contract from the USAF in 2019 to deliver 3,018 examples of its ACES 5 ejection seats for installation in the service’s fleet of Boeing F-15, Lockheed Martin F-16, Lockheed Martin F-22, Boeing A-10 and Boeing B-1Bs.
However, the USAF partially reversed course in late 2024 with its plans for ACES 5, which is the successor to Collins’ popular ACES 2 ejection seat. The service now plans to run a competitive acquisition process for replacing the ejection seat in its Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters, with the possibility of extending the effort to include the F-22 and and B-1B.
However, the T-7A will continue forward with the ACES 5, including the ongoing effort to refine the new trainer’s escape system.
“The test focused on two key upgrades: a redesigned canopy ejection system and a new seat sequencer,” the USAF notes of the recent sled testing.
With the new system, the canopy has a safer break pattern, which will protect pilots from impacting shattered glass during an ejection.
The updated sequencer deployed a stabilising parachute for a longer duration, which reduces the chance of neck and spine injuries.
Another test is scheduled for August.
The T-7A has suffered years of delays owing to concerns with the escape system and other issues.
In January, the USAF pushed back a production decision for the new trainer to 2026, while also purchasing four additional T-7A production-representative test vehicles to supplement its five test aircraft.
The USAF wants to acquire 350 T-7As over 10 production lots to replace its obsolescent Northrop T-38Cs, which suffer a plethora of maintenance issues. Problems with the aged T-38C fleet have crimped pilot training capacity.
In addition to the ejection seat issues, the T-7A has also suffered from issues with software, the aircraft’s supply chain, and cost overruns.
Boeing won the T-7A contract in September 2018 with an aggressive fixed-price bidding strategy. This offered no recourse for cost increases and schedule delays during the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in losses thus far in excess of $1.8 billion.
