Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has withdrawn from the U.S. Navy’s competition to replace its T-45 Goshawk jet trainer, narrowing the field of companies pursuing the Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) contract.
SNC confirmed it did not submit a proposal by the Navy’s Oct. 30 deadline, according to Breaking Defense. The company said it could not responsibly bid under the program’s current contract structure but remains interested in the effort if the Navy revisits its approach.
SNC had been pursuing the contract with its Freedom trainer, a clean-sheet design developed specifically for the Navy requirement. Northrop Grumman, which had joined the SNC team, withdrew in September. SNC had continued working with General Atomics after Northrop’s departure.
The other major manufacturers previously involved in the competition have also dropped out. Lockheed Martin withdrew in April after considering an offer based on the TF-50N, developed with Korea Aerospace Industries. Boeing followed in June, deciding not to offer its T-7A Red Hawk.
Textron Aviation Defense and Leonardo are expected to offer the M-346N, a navalized version of Leonardo’s M-346 advanced jet trainer. The team is now the only known remaining competitor backed by an established aircraft manufacturer.
The Navy’s UJTS program is intended to replace the T-45 Goshawk, which has been used to train Navy and Marine Corps aviators since the early 1990s. The new aircraft will not be required to operate from aircraft carriers, unlike the T-45.
According to Breaking Defense, the Navy now expects to award the contract between July and September 2027, later than its original target of March 2027.
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