History
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet supersonic jet trainer designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation. It was the world’s first supersonic trainer as well as the most produced.
The T-38 can be traced back to 1952 and Northrop’s N-102 Fang and N-156 fighter aircraft projects. During the mid-1950s, Northrop officials decided to adapt the N-156 to suit a recently issued general operating requirement by the United States Air Force (USAF) for a supersonic trainer to replace the Lockheed T-33. The bid was successful, in no small part due to its lower lifecycle cost comparisons to competing aircraft, and the company received an initial order to build three prototypes. The first of these, designated YT-38, made its maiden flight on 10 April 1959. The T-38 was introduced to USAF service on 17 March 1961.
The USAF is the largest operator of the T-38. Additional operators of the T-38 include NASA and the United States Navy. The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, is the principal US Navy operator. Other T-38s were previously used by the US Navy for dissimilar air combat training until replaced by the similar Northrop F-5 Tiger II. Pilots of other NATO nations have commonly flown the T-38 during joint training programs with American pilots.[1] The T-38 remains in service as of 2026 with several air forces. As of 2026, the T-38 has been in service for over 60 years with the USAF, its original operator.
In September 2018, USAF announced the possible replacement of the Talon by the Boeing–Saab T-7 Red Hawk by 2034, if a planned initial low rate production of the T-7A occurred by 2026. This replacement timeline is dependent on congressional approval and aircraft being delivered, evaluated, and receiving Initial Operating Capability by the USAF in 2027
