
Lockheed Martin is planning to offer the T-50A rather than a new Skunk Works design for the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) advanced pilot training (APT) competition.
The company, in collaboration with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), has jointly developed the T-50A to replace the T-38, as well as train the next generation of pilots to fly fifth-generation aircraft.
The company plans to build the T-50A for the USAF and for potential international customers at its Greenville Operations facility in South Carolina, US.
Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Programmes (Skunk Works) executive vice-president and general manager Rob Weiss said: "The T-50A is production ready now.
"It is the only offering that meets all of the APT requirements and can deliver those capabilities on schedule.
"We carefully studied a clean-sheet option for the competition and determined that it posed excessive risk to the APT cost and schedule requirements."
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataIt is reported that the T-50A configuration is a block upgrade of the existing T-50 design and the changes include aerial refueling capability, embedded training, open system architecture, and a fifth-generation cockpit.
The T-50A is claimed to deliver the fighter-like performance and capabilities needed to eliminate 5th Generation training gaps and inefficiencies.
The company’s supplementary T-50A Ground-Based Training System (GBTS) features new technologies that deliver an immersive, synchronided training platform.
The agile T-50A GBTS applies lessons-learned from decades of training with new technologies to deliver a cost-effective advanced pilot training solution.
Image: The T-50A aircraft. Photo: courtesy of Lockheed Martin Corporation.