WASHINGTON — Th? U.S. Ai? F??c? ?l?ns t? ?l? its ?i?st T-7A R?? H?wk t??in?? h?l?w?? ?c??ss th? c??nt?? t? E?w???s Ai? F??c? B?s? in C?li???ni? ??? ???th?? t?stin? ?s s??n ?s Oct. 26.

C?l. Ki?t C?ss?ll, th? Ai? F??c?’s T-7 ??????m m?n????, t?l? D???ns? N?ws ?n F?i??? th?t th? s??vic?’s ?i?st ???? T-7 t?st ?il?ts ??? ???s ?w?? ???m ???innin? th?i? ??mili??iz?ti?n ?n? t??inin? ?li?hts ?t B??in?’s ??cilit? in St. L??is, Miss???i.

Th?s? Ai? F??c? ?il?ts’ ?li?hts will ??v? th? w?? ??? this ?i?st T-7, which B??in? ???ici?ll? ??liv???? t? th? Ai? F??c? in mi?-S??t?m???, t? t??v?l t? E?w???s in ? s??i?s ?? ?????in? ?li?hts ??ssi?l? n?xt w??k, h? s?i?.

Th?s? ??? ?x???i?nc?? ?il?ts with th??s?n?s ?? ?li?ht h???s ??ch, h? ?????, ?n? w??l? lik?l? j?st n??? ????t tw? ?li?hts ?????? ??c?min? ???li?i??.

“Th??’?? t??in?? t? ?? ??l? t? ?l? ???tt? m?ch ?n? ?i?c???t ??? ??t th?m in, ??t ??? still n??? t? ??t th?m ???li?i?? in th?t ?i?c???t,” C?ss?ll s?i?. “Th?t ?s??ll? t?k?s ? h?n???l ?? s??ti?s.”

Th? T-7 will ?? th? Ai? F??c?’s n?xt j?t ?i?c???t ??? t??inin? n?w ?il?ts. It’s ??si?n?? t? ?m?l?t? ? ?i?th-??n???ti?n ?i?ht?? s?ch ?s th? F-22 ?n? F-35. Th? Ai? F??c? ?l?ns t? ??? 351 R?? H?wks t? ???l?c? its 504 ??in? T-38 T?l?n t??in??s.

B?t th? ??????m is ????s ??hin? sch???l? ??? t? ????l?ms s?ch ?s ? ??t?nti?ll? ??n?????s ?sc??? s?st?m ?n? ???lt? ?li?ht c?nt??l s??tw???. Th? T-7 w?s ??i?in?ll? sch???l?? t? ???ch initi?l ?????ti?n?l c????ilit? in 2024, ??t th?t h?s n?w sli???? t? s??in? 2027.

B??in? ???ici?ls h?v? c?ntin??? ????????ti?n?l m?int?n?nc? ?n? ?th?? s?????t ??? th? T-7 sinc? th? Ai? F??c? ?cc??t?? th? ?i?st ?n?. B??in? s?i? in ?n ?m?il t? D???ns? N?ws th?t ????n? t?stin? ?? th? j?t’s l?t?st s??tw??? is c?m?l?t? ?n? th?t th? c?m??n?’s ?wn ?li?ht t?stin? is ????t t? ???in.

C?ss?ll s?i? B??in? ?il?ts ??? sch???l?? t? ?l? th? T-7 ?n Oct. 20.

Th? Ai? F??c? ?n? B??in? ??? ?ls? ??in? th????h t?stin? ???c?ss?s t? ?ns??? n? s????is?s ??? ?? ???in? th? ?????in? ?li?hts.

C?ss?ll s?i? th?t th? T-7, ?s ? n?w ?i?c???t, h?s “??n int? ? c???l? [??] ???win? ??ins” th?t th? s??vic? ?n? B??in? ??? w??kin? th????h. F?? ?x?m?l?, h? s?i?, ? l??kin? ?il???n w?s ?isc?v???? ?n th? T-7 ?n? n????? t? ?? ???l?c??.

B?t C?ss?ll ??sc?i??? s?ch n?nc?n???m?nc? ????l?ms ?s st?n???? ??? ? n?w ??????m. Alth???h th? l?t?-Oct???? ??liv??? ?? th? T-7 t? E?w???s is sli?htl? ??hin? th? Ai? F??c?’s ?x??ct?ti?n ???li?? this ???? th?t it w??l? h????n in S??t?m???, C?ss?ll s?i? h? is c?m???t??l? with th? ??????m’s ??c?.

“It’s th? c?st ?? ??in? ??sin?ss wh?n ??? ??t t???th?? ? n?w ?i?c???t,” h? s?i?. “W?’?? st??tchin? its l??s, t??in? t? ??t it ??t th??? ?n? ?l?in?. … Th???’s ? st??? l???nin? c??v?.”

Th? ?????in? ?li?hts will lik?l? t?k? tw? ?? th??? ???s, h? s?i?, ?n? inv?lv? th??? ?? ???? st??s ?l?n? th? w??. Th?s? st??s will ?iv? th? ?il?ts ? ch?nc? t? ??st ?n? ??? ? s?????t c??w t? ?????l th? T-7 ?s w?ll ?s ch?ck ??t h?w w?ll it’s ??????min?.

A B??in? Ch?ll?n??? ??sin?ss j?t, which will ?ls? c???? s???? ???ts, m?int?in??s, ?n? ?th?? s?????t c??w ?n? ?il?ts, will sh???w th? T-7. Th? ?????in? ?il?ts will incl??? Ai? F??c? ?il?ts ???m E?w???s’ 416th Fli?ht T?st S??????n, which will ??c?iv? ???li?ic?ti?n ?n th? j?t n?xt w??k, ?n? B??in? t?st ?il?ts.

“It’s ?n ?xt?nsiv? ?????t” t? ??????? this ?i?st T-7 ??? th? ????hl? 1,800-mil? ?li?ht t? E?w???s, C?ss?ll s?i?.

“It h?sn’t ???n ?l?wn ? l?t,” h? ?????. “W? h?v?n’t t?st?? its n?vi??ti?n s?st?m ??t. S? ??? n??? t? h?v? ?n ?i?c???t with ? kn?wn, t?st??, ?i?l??? n?vi??ti?n s?st?m [ch?s? th? T-7] s? th? tw? ?i?c???t c?n s???l? ??t ?c??ss th? c??nt??.”

C?ss?ll s?i? th? Oct. 26 ???l ??? th? ????? ?li?hts t? ???in will ????n? ?n w??th?? c?n?iti?ns. Th?n???st??ms ?? l?w, h??v? cl???s c??l? ???m?t th? Ai? F??c? t? ??l?? t?k???? ?n? w?it ??? cl????? ski?s.

B??in? h?s ?ls? w??k?? ?t E?w???s t? ??????? ??? th? ?i?st T-7′s ???iv?l, C?ss?ll s?i?, s?ch ?s ?? ??liv??in? ?n? s?ttin? ?? ? sim?l?t?? ?n? ?th?? ?ctiviti?s t? ??t ????? ??? ?li?ht t?sts. B?th B??in? ?n? Ai? F??c? t?st ?il?ts will ?l? th? T-7 ?nc? it ??ts t? E?w???s.

C?ss?ll s?i? th? Ai? F??c? is ?ls? c?ntin?in? t? t?st ?ix?s t? th? T-7′s ????l?m?tic ?sc??? s?st?m ?n? ?li?ht c?nt??l s??tw???, which ???li?? this ???? c??s?? th? ??????m t? ?? ??-??s?lin?? ?n? ??ll ???th?? ??hin? sch???l?.

T?sts ?? th? T-7′s ?sc??? s?st?m in 2021 ???n? it c??l? ?? ??n?????s ?n? c??s? c?nc?ssi?ns ?? ?th?? inj??i?s t? ?j?ctin? ?il?ts. Th? Ai? F??c? ?n? B??in? w??k?? t? ????si?n it.

In th? n?xt tw? ?? th??? w??ks, C?ss?ll s?i?, th? Ai? F??c? ?l?ns t? t?st th? ?sc??? s?st?m’s ????si?n?? ?????? ch?t? ?t ?n ?n-th?-????n? t?stin? sit? in Ut?h ??n ?? C?llins A???s??c?, ? s??si?i??? ?? RTX. An? w??k is ?n???w?? t? m???l h?w th? T-7′s c?n??? ???ct???s t? ?ll?w ? ?il?t t? ?j?ct th????h it.

Th? ??m?inin? t?sts sh??l? t?ll th? Ai? F??c? ?n? B??in? h?w ?ls? th? ?sc??? s?st?m’s ??si?n n???s tw??k??, h? s?i?, ?n? th?s? ch?n??s will ?n????? t?stin? ?n th? ????n? in J?n???? ?? F???????.

Th? T-7 th?t will s??n ?l? t? E?w???s h?s ??c?iv?? n?w ?n? ????t?? ?li?ht c?nt??l s??tw???, C?ss?ll n?t??. Th?s? ?li?ht c?nt??ls ??? still ??in? ???in??, h? s?i?, ??t th? t?st ?i?c???t h?v? ?ll th? ch?n??s n????? t? st??t ?li?ht t?stin?.

M??? R?? H?wks ?n th? w??

Th? Ai? F??c? is ?ls? ??????in? ??? th? ??liv??? ?? th? n?xt ???? T-7s in th? c?min? m?nths.

B??in? is ?x??ct?? t? ??liv?? th? Ai? F??c?’s s?c?n? T-7 ????n? th? ?i?st w??k ?? N?v?m???, C?ss?ll s?i?, ?n? it will ?? ?l?wn t? E?lin Ai? F??c? B?s? in Fl??i?? ??? t?stin? in th? ??s?’s McKinl?? Clim?tic L?????t??? in mi?- t? l?t? N?v?m???. An F-15 ?? F-16 ???m E?lin’s 40th Fli?ht T?st S??????n will lik?l? “ch?s?” this T-7 ?n its t?i?.

Th? clim?t? t?stin? is ??si?n?? t? ?m?l?t? v??i??s t?m????t???s ?n? w??th?? sc?n??i?s t? m?k? s??? th? T-7 c?n ?????t? s???l? in ? v??i?t? ?? c?n?iti?ns. At ?n? ??int, th? l?? will s??j?ct th? T-7 t? c?l? s??kin?, wh??? th? j?t is imm??s?? in ??i?i? t?m????t???s ?n? th?n ?????t??. An?th?? t?st is c?ll?? s?l?? l???in?, wh??? li?hts ???lic?tin? th? ????ct ?? l?n? ?x??s???s t? ??i?ht T?x?s s?n ?n ? ?li?ht lin? ??? sh?n? ?n th? T-7 t? ?ns??? it ??ns ?s int?n???.

Onc? th?t T-7′s clim?t? t?stin? is ??n? in J?n???? 2024, C?ss?ll s?i?, it will ??????l? ?l? ??ck t? St. L??is ??? m??? ?li?ht t?sts, ?n? l?t?? ??t t? E?w???s ??? ? sh??t ???i?? ?? missi?n s?st?ms t?stin?.

Th? thi?? T-7 is ?ls? ?n its w?? ?n? is ?x??ct?? t? ?l? t? E?w???s ????n? th? ?n? ?? N?v?m???, ??t?? Th?nks?ivin?, h? ?????.

Th? ????th ?n? ?i?th T-7s ??? still ?n t??ck ??? ??liv??? ?? th? ?n? ?? D?c?m???. Th?s? j?ts will st?? ?t th? St. L??is ??cilit? ??? th? imm??i?t? ??t???, wh??? th? Ai? F??c? will c?n??ct t?chnic?l ????? c??ti?ic?ti?n ?n? v??i?ic?ti?n. Th?t is ? ??t?il?? ???c?ss in which Ai? F??c? ?n? B??in? m?int?in??s ?? ?v?? th? T-7′s m?n??ls t? ?ns??? th?t, ??? ?x?m?l?, th? ???c????? ??? ch?n?in? ? ??tt??? in th? ?l?n? is ?x?ctl? h?w it is ??sc?i??? in w?itin?.

“It c??l? [?in? ????l?ms] ?s sim?l? ?s: ‘It s??s ??m?v? 10 sc??ws … ??t th???’s ?nl? nin? sc??ws,’ ” C?ss?ll s?i?. “It’s l???? int?nsiv?, ??t it’s v??? im???t?nt t? m?k? s??? th?t w?’?? ??in? ???????i?t? s?st?inm?nt ?n? m?int?n?nc? ?n th? ?i?c???t.”