Lockheed Alpha Jet - U.S. Navy VTX-TS Competition - A58

In 1978, the United States Navy launched the VTX-TS Advanced Trainer Programme to find a replacement for the T-2 Buckeye and TA-4 Skyhawk trainers. Dassault and Dornier teamed up with Lockheed to offer a Navy-tailored version of the then brand-new Alpha Jet. In September 1980, Alpha Jet A58 was transferred to the United States and undertook a tour of several naval bases, where it was flown and evaluated by more than 70 Navy and Air Force instructors on various missions. Despite praise from pilots and ground personnel for its excellent flight characteristics, low fuel consumption and ease of maintenance, the twin-engine Alpha Jet eventually lost out to the single-engine T-45 Goshawk, which was entered into the race by British Aerospace and eventually manufactured under licence by McDonnell Douglas. Although the contract was not awarded, the Alpha Jet, which was still in development, proved its capabilities early on. Looking back on 50 years of the Alpha Jet, the VTX-TS competition remains an interesting chapter in the long career of the Franco-German trainer and light fighter-bomber