JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –
The first Air Force T-38 Talon aircraft arrived at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) Nov. 24 for overhaul and repair as part of the Talon Repair, Inspection and Maintenance program (TRIM).
The TRIM program is an Air Force repair initiative focused on inspecting and replacing key structural components across the T-38 fleet, with the goal of extending the aircraft’s service life by five to 10 years.
Currently, most TRIM repairs are performed at the Air Force’s aviation depot at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. In August 2024, representatives from the T-38 Program Office reached out to FRCSE to determine whether the readiness center could take on a portion of the workload.
“When the Air Force asked us if we could support working on their T-38s, our team took a hard look at it and agreed we could assist,” said Capt. Mike Windom, FRCSE commanding officer. “Taking on this workload is another testament to our workforce’s commitment to doing whatever it takes to support our nation’s warfighters.”
The T-38 Talon is a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer used in a variety of roles. The Air Force uses the aircraft to prepare pilots to fly front-line fighter and bomber platforms.
“The Air Force has approximately 270 aircraft they need to perform the TRIM package on by 2030, with the goal being 50 inductions per year,” said Paul Skinner, an FRCSE business management specialist. “FRCSE is going to take on a portion of those aircraft inductions to help them reach that goal.”
Since August 2024, more than 160 process engineers, logisticians, components and manufacturing experts, production leaders and support personnel from FRCSE have worked with Air Force representatives to ensure the command had the necessary support equipment, technical data, software and qualifications to take on the new airframe. FRCSE personnel also visited Air Force and NASA T-38 repair sites to observe maintenance and repair operations firsthand.
“During the visit to El Paso to visit the NASA facility, their sheet metal mechanics were especially helpful,” said Troy James, an FRCSE sheet metal mechanic. “They took the time to walk me through several areas of the aircraft, explain component layouts and share practical knowledge of their day-to-day work.”
Most TRIM work at FRCSE will be performed by seasoned artisans with extensive experience on the similar F-5 Tiger II. While the two aircraft are not identical, they share enough characteristics that some tools and support equipment can be used on both airframes, giving F-5 artisans a head start as they transition to the T-38.
“We discovered that while the F-5 and T-38 share similarities, they can also differ significantly, which requires us to be cautious to avoid confusion,” said Steve Clayton, FRCSE’s F-5/T-38 ground check supervisor.
In October, Naval Air Systems Command designated FRCSE as a secondary Depot Source of Repair for the T-38, authorizing the command to perform the requested repair work.
“There’s been a lot of work put into getting to this point,” Skinner said. “We submitted over 180 pieces of support equipment to our manufacturing and plant services departments for them to make from scratch to ensure our artisans have the right equipment. This included things such as wiring harnesses, fixtures, and installation and removal tools.”
The FRCSE T-38 capability establishment team has spent the past 15 months preparing for the aircraft’s arrival, and the induction of the first T-38 marked a major milestone for the group.
FRCSE expects to induct a second aircraft later this year, with the production line ultimately growing to six inductions per year.
