"The distance between the T-38 and an F-35 is night and day," according to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein.
"But with the T-7A the distance is much, much smaller, and that's important because it means the pilots trained on it will be that much better, that much faster at a time when we must be able to train to the speed of the threat," Goldfein said.
The T-7A will be built by Boeing and will have updated technology, Donovan said.
"The Red Hawk offers advanced capabilities for training tomorrow's pilots on data links, simulated radar, smart weapons, defensive management systems, as well as synthetic training capabilities," Donovan added.