First came the bad news for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation trainer: During an earnings call in late April, Boeing announced new charges and delays on the T-7A Red Hawk-the digitally designed advanced trainer set to replace the service's old Northrop T-38s. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, supply chain constraints and negotiations with suppliers caused $367 million in cost overruns for the aircraft, Boeing's Chief Financial Officer Brian West told investors, with costs to be incurred "over the next several years" But the next day, Boeing officially rolled out the first engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase T-7A in a St. Louis ceremony that also honored the famed Tuskegee Airmen. The jet appeared with a light gray fuselage and bright red tail, along with the tail code representing its future home of Randolph AFB， Texas.
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