U.S. defense contractor Science Applications International (SAIC) is proposing that the U.S. Air Force replace its Beechcraft T-1A Jayhawk twinjet trainers with Eclipse 550 very light jets (VLJs) that the company would provide on a turn-key, service contract basis. SAIC claims significant benefits for adoption of the VLJ: a 50-percent reduction in operating costs compared with the current trainer and a fifth-generation cockpit that is more relevant for training today’s multi-engine military pilots. The Air Force has a fleet of more than 150 Jayhawks that it uses to train airlift and tanker pilots, and to support navigator training.

John Parkes, SAIC’s Air Force business development manager, told AIN at the recent AFA Convention in Washington, D.C., that the Eclipse burns only 70 gallons of fuel per hour, compared with 225 gallons per hour for the T-1. The Jayhawk entered service more than 20 years ago and to comply with FAA airspace requirements needs an upgrade that will cost $300 million, he claimed; the Eclipse is RVSM, ADS-B and GPS approach compliant. Further, the Eclipse has an all-glass cockpit with smart reconfigurable displays and can offer “live virtual constructive” training. It is also the only light jet with autothrottles as used on current USAF tankers and airlifters, according to SAIC.

Parkes said that SAIC would provide a fleet of Eclipse VLJs for no up-front investment by the government, at a fee per flight hour that is one-third of the current flying hour cost to the Air Force of operating the T-1A fleet. The VLJ could have more applications, according to the company. It could also cost-effectively replace the Learjet 35As (C-21) the Air Force uses for operational support. Those aircraft are being retired without any obvious replacement, he noted. Another application could be as an “adversary trainer”; Parkes told AIN that SAIC is evaluating the use of a digital radio-frequency jamming system that could be carried by the VLJ.

SAIC is also suggesting that the Air Force replace its remaining T-38A companion trainers with VLJs. These are original versions of the Northrop supersonic jet trainers, which did not get an avionics upgrade to T-38C standard for continued service as advanced jet trainers. The T-38As are flown by the Air Force’s B-2 and U-2 wings at Whiteman and Beale AFBs, respectively. The service is seeking to replace the much larger fleet of T-38Cs via the T-X acquisition program. But SAIC asserts that the Eclipse would be a more cost-effective replacement for the T-38A companion trainers, with an annual saving of $14.5 million at the U-2 wing alone, stemming from the fuel cost savings and the opportunity to train multiple pilots per sortie.