Th? T-7A R?? H?wk, th? n?xt-??n???ti?n ??v?nc?? t??in?? ??? th? U.S. Ai? F??c?, ???ch?? ? si?ni?ic?nt mil?st?n? ?s th? ?i?st ?????cti?n ?????s?nt?tiv? j?t, APT-2, c?m?l?t?? ? 1,400-mil? c??ss-c??nt?? ?li?ht t? E?w???s Ai? F??c? B?s? in C?li???ni?.
Pil?t?? ?? ? j?int U.S. Ai? F??c? ?n? B??in? ?i?c??w, th? ?i?c???t m??? st??t??ic st??s ?t Ai? F??c? ??s?s in Okl?h?m?, N?w M?xic?, ?n? A?iz?n? ??? ?????lin? ?n? t? sh?wc?s? th? c?ttin?-???? t??in?? t? ??s? ?m?l????s.
Ev?l?n M????, Vic? P??si??nt ?n? P?????m M?n???? ??? T-7 ??????ms, ?m?h?siz?? th? im???t?nc? ?? this m?m?nt, st?tin?, “This is ? ?iv?t?l m?m?nt ??? th? T-7 ??????m. B?in?in? th? T-7A R?? H?wk t? th? h???t ?? th? U.S. Ai? F??c?’s t?st c?mm?nit? ?t E?w???s ??? ??n?mic ?li?ht t?stin? will ???v? th? j?t’s ??????m?nc? ?s ?n ??il? ?n? s??? t??in?? ??? ??t??? ?il?ts.”
B??in? ??liv???? th? ?i?st R?? H?wk t? th? Ai? F??c? ?n S??t?m??? 15, m??kin? th? c?mm?nc?m?nt ?? th? n?xt ?h?s? ?? ?li?ht t?stin? ?t E?w???s Ai? F??c? B?s?. Ai? F??c? t?st ?il?ts will ??????ll? ?x??n? th? ?li?ht ?nv?l???, ???innin? with ?l?tt?? t?stin?, ?nc? th?? ??c?m? ??mili?? with th? ?i?c???t.
C?l. Ki?t C?ss?ll, Divisi?n Chi??, U.S. Ai? F??c?, T-7A R?? H?wk ??????m, ?x???ss?? c?n?i??nc? in th? t??m’s ??ilit? t? ?v??c?m? ?n? ch?ll?n??s th?t m?? ??is? ???in? t?stin?. H? st?t??, “Lik? m?st t?st ??????ms, w?’ll h?v? ?isc?v??? ?n? w?’ll ?v??c?m? it ??ickl?. This is th? ?i?ht t??m t? ?? ??t?? ?n? ch?ll?n??s w? ?in?.”
In 2018, th? Ai? F??c? ?w????? B??in? ? $9.2 ?illi?n c?nt??ct ??? 351 T-7A ??v?nc?? t??in??s, 46 sim?l?t??s, ?n? s?????t, ?imin? t? ???l?c? th? ??in? T-38 ?i?c???t.
