Swedish company Saab announced on Friday that it had shipped the last of five fully assembled T-7A Red Hawk rear fuselage from its factory in Linköping, Sweden to Boeing’s production site. in St. Louis.
In addition to the five aft fuselages of Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD), the Saab that participated in the program also provided two test fuselages, one for static testing and the other for fatigue testing.
The final delivery, which took place on May 6, 2022, marks an important milestone for the program. All production will now be moved to Saab’s new and smart manufacturing facility in West Lafayette, Indiana, where all future T-7 rear body production will be carried out, with the support from both Saab employees in Sweden and the United States.
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Saab used its experience in cutting-edge digital to contribute to the design and development of the T-7 as part of its partnership with Boeing, as well as the production of the rear fuselage with the systems. fully installed.
As part of the manufacturing process, Boeing connected the rear of the Saab to the front. This was followed by assembling the wings, fins and tail to become a complete test aircraft for use in the EMD test flight program. Saab’s first EMD deliveries to Boeing were in April 2021. Since then, all subsequent EMD deliveries have been completed in just over a year. On April 28, 2022, Boeing and Saab launched the first T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer test aircraft built for the EMD stage.
“Developed with an engineering approach based on digital models, the T-7 represents a revolutionary approach to aircraft development. Jonas Hjelm, Head of Business Aviation at Saab, said the T-7 represents Saab’s forward-thinking approach to international growth and strengthens our position as an aircraft company. World class and unique business partner.
“Saab’s proud 85-year legacy of aircraft design and construction continues and we are delivering on our promises. I am delighted to see the transfer of T-7A production to the United States at our state-of-the-art facility in Indiana,” said Erik Smith, President and CEO of Saab USA.
The T-7A Red Hawk is an all-new, advanced pilot training system designed for the United States Air Force to train the next generation of fighter pilots for decades to come. The aircraft has benefited from Saab and Boeing’s “norm breaking” approach to military aircraft design, engineering and manufacturing, which saw the previous TX aircraft move from concept to its first flight in just 36 months.
