The Next Generation Undergraduate Jet Training System will replace the aging T-45 Goshock, and candidates include the Leonardo-Textron M-346N, Boeing-Saab T-7 and Lockheed Martin-KAI T-50.
The U.S. Navy has again issued another Request for Information (RFI) for the program to replace the aging T-45 GoShok, Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS). This is the fourth RFI for the program, but a final Request for Proposals (RFP) was also expected later this year.
The first notable difference in this RFI is that the anticipated contract award date has been pushed back from fiscal year 2026 to the second quarter of fiscal year 2028. Additionally, as carefully noted in the RFI description, there is one key requirement that remains unclear.
The document states, “Please note that Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) senior leadership is still carefully considering whether UJTS aircraft should be required to land by conducting Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP).” As we’ve reported, a significant portion of the training command’s syllabus centers around FCLP, which allows new pilots to practice the full approach and landing maneuvers performed on a carrier just prior to ground landing.
Latest RFIs
The RFI includes a list of attributes needed for the Navy's new jet training aircraft, many of which were already known from previous RFIs. Let's take a quick look at these properties, starting with the cockpit.
The cockpit features required are safety and environmental features common to all modern aircraft, including zero-zero ejection seats and bird strike prevention canopies. The latter is very evident, as the Navy has lost several aircraft to bird strike problems and wants to minimize the possibility of such an incident occurring again.
In terms of cockpit configuration, the service is calling for an aircraft with a head-up display (HUD) and “a single primary touchscreen display for both cockpits” and a helmet-mounted display (HMD) with integrated augmented reality (AR) that can be used in both the FWD and AFT cockpits simultaneously or separately. The Large Area Display (LAD) requirement was anticipated because the Navy already uses LADs on its F-35C and F/A-18 Block III aircraft, which will be flown by UJTS graduate pilots.
The RFI begins with the ability to maintain a fixed angle of attack (AoA) approach targeting a 3.25 degree glide ramp while maintaining visibility during a flare-free landing, and moves on to suitability and performance attributes. The aircraft is expected to perform 6 to 10 flare-free landings per training event, or 1,400 landings per year assuming 400 flight hours per year, resulting in a total airframe fatigue life of 10,000 hours and 35,000 landings.
Because of this, the structural design must take into account very high stresses during landing, and structural modifications may be necessary. However, as mentioned at the beginning of the RFI, we will have to wait until the final RFP is released to know what the final decision will be and to define the exact requirements for the aircraft.
In terms of performance, the Navy is looking for an aircraft with a minimum speed of Mach 0.9/450-500 KIAS, a sustained AoA of greater than 20 degrees, a sustained load factor of at least 6G, an operating ceiling of at least 41,000 feet, and a roll rate of at least 12 degrees per second. The RFI also mentions wings and/or wingtip pylons for weapons carriage, which in the attached document are better specified as a PMBR (Practice Multiple Bomb Rack) with external fuel tanks, luggage pods, and six MK-76 type practice bombs.
The new UJTS aircraft should also incorporate the new Precision Landing Mode (PLM), which is currently featured on the F/A-18 and F-35 and will eventually become the standard method for all Navy aircraft to approach aircraft carriers. Not only will PLM significantly reduce the number of modifications required during final approach to an aircraft carrier, it can also lower demands on the aircraft structure, reducing the need for structural modifications.
The RFI then lists all the desired attributes for instruments and navigation, identification, control, display, and recorders that reflect the avionics capabilities of the aircraft currently in production. The mission systems list then includes air-to-ground store provision, embedded synthetic training, and augmented reality training systems. This appears to be the first time that the use of training weapons has been mentioned in a UJTS RFI.
The list continues with simulated sensors and systems, including radar (although previous RFIs have investigated the potential for real radar), electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR), radar warning receivers (RWR), electronic support measures (ESM), electronic warfare (EW), and electronic attack (EA). There are also simulated uses of guns, air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, and an automatic ground collision avoidance system (Auto G-CAS).
Undergraduate Jet Training Systems Program
Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to speak with Leonardo and Textron Aviation Defense to better understand the UJTS program and their offerings. David Kindley, Leonardo US’s Director of Training, Airlift and Special Missions Campaigns, explained that there are three priorities for modern flight training:
The first is the time required for training. Students must perform training orders faster, so training must be more efficient and effective. The second is the cost of flying advanced aircraft such as the F-35C and F/A-18 Block III. The goal is to “download” advanced training and move as much of it to training orders as possible, so that it can be done on less expensive aircraft, without compromising the quality of training.
The third is that today's training commands are moving from “just” providing basic flight skills to teaching cockpit management and information processing. This is one of the challenges pilots face later on when they move to more complex aircraft. Obviously, the Navy has some unique aspects to consider when planning pilot training for carrier operations.
For now, it appears that carrier landings will not be included as a requirement for the new jet trainer, meaning the aircraft will not need tail hooks and catapult launchers. As Kindley noted, aircraft that must be confined to an aircraft carrier and launched from a catapult must be designed from the ground up with that premise in mind, as the structural design must take into account the very large stresses during carrier operations.
Even if the aircraft does not land on an aircraft carrier, it will still need to perform FCLP. The companies are working with the Navy to define the specific characteristics of that landing, verify the needs for the aircraft structure, and investigate the need for structural modifications to comply with the requirements.
M346N proposal
Thomas Webster, vice president of global sales for Textron Aviation Defense, said Textron and Leonardo's proposal will begin by building on the current M-346 integrated training system, already in use in Italy and other countries, and be tailored to the Navy's needs. .
This represents an advantage for both companies as they begin working with an already very well-developed platform, with only a few adjustments needed once the RFP is issued. The operationally proven aircraft is being marketed as a low-risk, “ready-to-go” solution that can meet the Navy’s needs immediately as they continue to face challenges with the T-45.
The M-346 is a mature aircraft that has already boasted over 100,000 flight hours and has trained pilots of advanced aircraft such as the F-35 and Typhoon. Leonardo has developed a very comprehensive training system that is no longer just an aircraft, Webster says. The Live Virtual and Constructive (LVC) system allows the aircraft to do more than it can do alone, challenging the student throughout the training by merging the real and virtual worlds.
Given the augmented reality and embedded synthetic training attributes presented in the RFI, the Navy appears to value such integration and has decided to pursue it because it would be a future-proof solution that would allow for a smooth transition to 4.5 generation training. And the next generation of fifth-generation aircraft pilots.
Another key to the M-346N solution is that the aircraft has two engines. The T-45 is a single-engine aircraft and is vulnerable to bird attacks, and in fact, some aircraft were lost due to this problem. The second engine allows the aircraft to land safely after a bird strike.
The Future of the UJTS Program
The Navy continues to conduct alternatives analysis and survey the market to see what the industry can offer. This will allow us to prepare a draft RFP later this year, which we will refine and prepare for competition for final selection.
Webster previously outlined plans for the Navy 2026 budget to advance contracts for 10 aircraft, increasing to 12 in 2027, 12 in 2028 and 2029, and full-rate production with 25 aircraft expected in 2030. It was revealed. The latest RFI anticipates contract award in the second quarter of fiscal 2028, so it is possible that this timeline may be accelerated.
As for the number of aircraft, the latest RFI does not mention the number of aircraft the Navy is looking for. The previous RFI mentioned four airworthy EMD (Engineering, Manufacturing, and Development) aircraft and at least 145 production aircraft. According to the Navy’s most recent report, 149 T-45Cs are still in service today.