Saab outlined its role in a statement marking the Air Force’s 79th anniversary. The U.S. service was established as an independent military branch in 1947.
The T-7A is designed to prepare future fighter and bomber pilots for operational aircraft. Saab said the training system combines modern avionics with embedded instruction and is expected to support more than 1,000 pilots each year.
An estimated 350 Red Hawks are planned for delivery to the Air Force over the coming years. Boeing is responsible for the wider programme, with Saab supplying the aft-fuselage section from its U.S. facility.
The West Lafayette plant opened in 2021 and anchors Saab’s domestic production work on the aircraft. The company said the investment supports the U.S. defence industrial base and skilled American manufacturing jobs.
Saab also employs U.S. Air Force veterans at the site and elsewhere in its American operations. The company presented their involvement as a link between previous military service and the production of a new pilot-training system.
“As a veteran of the Air Force, it’s important for me to support the next generation of U.S. armed forces,” said Judah K., who works in manufacturing at Saab, Inc. “Working at Saab and on the T-7A Red Hawk program, I feel a great sense of purpose.”
The T-7A programme gives Saab a long-term manufacturing role in one of the Air Force’s major training-aircraft projects. The company said it plans to continue supporting U.S. military readiness through domestic production and advanced training technology.
