The decision marks the service’s most significant step yet as it aims to create a series of drones using autonomous software to fly alongside piloted jets.
The V-22 is allowed to fly again, and the services will each implement their own training and maintenance protocols to get the fleet back to operations.
The KC-46 was to be the ideal candidate for a fixed-price development program. Instead, it has cost Boeing billions, and made industry wary of such deals.
The first two T-7s will head to Edwards Air Force Base in California this fall, and a third will undergo testing on extreme weather conditions elsewhere.