What Happened
High Risk Sustainment Issues Plague New Training Jet Program
The US Air Force has assessed the sustainment of its new T-7 Red Hawk training jet as ‘high risk’ due to missing technical data, according to an internal document reviewed by Breaking Defense. The issue stems from a dispute between the Air Force and Boeing over the contract requirements for data rights. The Air Force will have to contract directly with suppliers to obtain the necessary data, which may cost taxpayers additional funds. The situation highlights the challenges of balancing contractor interests with government needs for sustainment and maintenance. The Air Force has implemented an ‘active management’ strategy to address the issue, which may prove effective in resolving the dispute. This development was first reported by Breaking Defense.