On 18 October, Saab has announced that the company received an order from Boeing for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase for the Advanced Pilot Training Aircraft, T-X.

According to the Saab’s statement, the value of this order is approximately MUSD 117.6. The order will run until 2022.

Saab and Boeing were selected by the U.S. Air Force on 27 September for the T-X programme, a new era in Saab and Boeing’s partnership going forward.

The T-X programme is divided into multiple phases. This order concerns the first phase, EMD, in which Saab and Boeing industrialise the T-X aircraft together with the customer. EMD includes testing, U.S. military flight certification and delivery of five jets. The EMD phase will be followed by a serial production phase.

“This order is an exciting step towards a whole new era when it comes to trainer jets. It lays the foundation for our joint work for many years to come. We look forward to taking these next steps together with Boeing,” says Håkan Buskhe, President and CEO of Saab.

Saab and Boeing have developed the T-X aircraft together. Saab is a risk-sharing partner with Boeing in the development. Boeing is the designated prime contractor for the advanced pilot training system acquisition by the U.S. Air Force.

T-X is an all-new aircraft designed specifically for the U.S. Air Force training mission, and takes advantage of the latest technologies, tools and manufacturing techniques. It is an advanced aircraft designed to evolve as technologies, missions and training needs change. The design is more affordable and flexible than older, existing aircraft.