Raytheon Company plans to build the T-100 trainer in Meridian, Mississippi, should it win the competition for the Air Force’s T-X program, according to a company news release.
Raytheon’s T-100 Integrated Air Training System is a comprehensive, next-generation training solution combining the T-100 aircraft, based on the M-346 trainer aircraft, along with ground-based simulators and computerized classroom training to prepare the Air Force’s next generation of pilots.
“Our process determined that the best location for building the T-100 is Meridian, Mississippi,” said Rick Yuse, president of Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. “It provides the right blend of infrastructure, proximity to our customers, government support and a talent base that’s ready for the high tech jobs critical to our success.”
Two T-100s fly a training mission. Raytheon Company photo
Raytheon’s T-100 Integrated Air Training System is a comprehensive, next-generation training solution combining the T-100 aircraft, based on the M-346 trainer aircraft, along with ground-based simulators and computerized classroom training to prepare the Air Force’s next generation of pilots. Variants of the M-346, developed by Alenia Aermacchi (now absorbed into Leonardo-Finmeccanica), are used as trainers by Israel, Italy, Poland, and Singapore. Raytheon has partnered with Leonardo-Finmeccanica, CAE USA and Honeywell Aerospace to offer the T-100 to the U.S. Air Force.
“Mississippi’s existing partnership with Raytheon is one reason we are a global leader in advanced manufacturing for the defense industry,” said Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. “With a firm understanding of the significance of the advanced pilot training mission, we are excited about the possibility of expanding that partnership and creating hundreds of new, high-paying jobs supporting our brave men and women who serve this country.”
The Air Force’s T-X program seeks to replace the aging T-38 Talon with a new two-seat jet trainer. Also competing in the program are Lockheed Martin, with the T-50A; Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and L-3 with a clean-sheet design; and a Boeing/Saab Ab team, with the T-X.