RICHMOND, Va. –
To address maintenance challenges of the T-38 Talon, a crucial trainer aircraft most Air Force pilots fly early in their careers, Defense Logistics Agency Aviation hosted a landmark collaborative forecasting event at its headquarters here Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 aimed at ensuring the right parts are available to T-38 maintainers – where and when they need them.
DLA Aviation Commander Air Force Brig. Gen. Sean Tyler opened the event, emphasizing the critical role of the T-38 in pilot training. The T-38, a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer used in various roles since its inception in the 1960s, faces challenges maintaining its airworthiness that its stakeholders are addressing by working together and planning strategically.
During the three-day gathering, the T-38 Program Office, Material Management Division, Air Education and Training Command, Northrop Grumman, and DLA Aviation personnel reviewed more than 300 parts with dwindling supply quantities. The detailed line-by-line review of operational, depot and commodities parts focused on items with less than six months of supportability in the supply pipeline.
The T-38 is an integral part of the Air Force, offering a unique combination of performance, reliability and operational efficiency. However, the aging fleet of roughly 528 aircraft is beset by maintenance challenges that have many T-38s on overfly waivers, signaling a pressing need for enhanced support and investment.
"The bottom line is that the T-38 fleet needs to stay airborne,” said Air Force Col. Daniel Willison, director of DLA Aviation Customer Operations. “There is a lot of history with the T-38 – and its engines – that have huge strategic impacts on the Air Force’s ability to produce new pilots. This customer-focused effort to improve material support to the T-38 is our way of helping to sustain that crucial warfighter training mission.”
Willison said additional collaborative forecasting events are set for later this year, including one in early March focused specifically on T-38 engines.