SHARP TALONS

Although in line for replacement, the Northrop T-38 Talon will bear the brunt of the USAF’s advanced training requirements for many years to come. Combat Aircraft sampled the jet at Columbus AFB, Mississippi

T-38 TRAINING

AMID A RAFT of costly recapitalization programs that will inject much-needed technology into the US Air Force, the air arm is in search of new blood of an altogether different nature.

The USAF is in the midst of a manning ‘crisis’, according to its most senior officer Gen Dave Goldfein. Increased competition for military pilots from commercial airline recruiters set against grueling deployment schedules for fighter squadrons has led to a massive loss of experienced heads. With a fighter pilot shortage approaching 1,000 in the active-duty component alone, the service needs both to retain existing flyers and increase pilot production.

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