The U.S. Air Force lifted its fleet-wide operational pause on the T-38 Talon on May 28, 2026, authorizing aircraft at four major commands to begin returning to flight after completing inspections. The Safety Investigation Board (SIB) probing the May 12 crash that triggered the grounding remains active.

Engineering and maintenance teams finalized the inspection procedures for aircraft to resume flying. “The Air Force continues making progress toward safely returning the fleet to service and anticipates inspected aircraft will begin returning to flying status within the next few days,” the service stated May 29.

The pause was ordered May 19, one week after a T-38 Talon II from the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, crashed in Lamar County, Alabama. Both crew members ejected safely, including a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) trainee, as SOFX previously reported.

The cause remains under investigation. An Air Education and Training Command (AETC) spokesperson told Military Times the service cannot discuss specific inspection procedures to “protect the integrity of the investigation.”

The halt covered AETC, Air Combat Command (ACC), Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), and Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). Aircrews used simulator training to maintain proficiency during the pause.

The return to flight comes as the Air Force presses ahead with an ongoing sustainment investment in its aging trainer fleet. At the end of March 2026, the service awarded Boeing a $900 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to sustain T-38C avionics through 2036, a bridge measure while the T-7A Red Hawk, the T-38’s designated replacement, works toward a 2027 initial operational capability (IOC).

Roughly 475 T-38s remain in service. The aircraft first flew in 1959 and has trained more than 70,000 Air Force pilots. SOFX has previously reported on the T-7A’s Milestone C clearance and $219 million low-rate production contract.