The U.S. Navy has launched the ultimate Request for Proposals for the Undergraduate Jet Coaching System which can substitute the T-45 Goshawk, confirming an accelerated schedule with a deal with prices.
The U.S. Navy has launched on Mar. 26, 2026, the ultimate Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Undergraduate Jet Coaching System (UJTS) program, which can substitute the getting older T-45 Goshawk coach fielded in 1991. The brand new plane will probably be used for the intermediate and superior coaching of naval aviators of each the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.
The RFP
The Request For Proposals, whose preliminary draft was launched in early February, will cowl the Engineering, Manufacturing, and Improvement (EMD) part of UJTS, in addition to the procurement of the primary lot of Low-Fee Preliminary Manufacturing (LRIP) plane, Floor-Primarily based Coaching Methods (GBTS) and Interim Contractor Logistic Providers (I-CLS). The contract’s award is anticipated in March 2027.
An estimated fielding schedule connected to the RFP confirms that the service intends to obtain 216 plane that ought to be capable of present 76,300 annual flight hours. The variety of plane and the manufacturing charges replicate the knowledge launched within the final Request for Data (RFI) launched in December 2025.
The fielding will observe an accelerated schedule, which sees the Navy receiving the primary lot of seven LRIP plane in 2032. The manufacturing would then enhance to 12 plane in 2023 and 20 in 2034, earlier than a full-rate manufacturing of 25 plane per 12 months from 2035.
These plane will probably be divided amongst three areas, with Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Mississippi, receiving 95 plane beginning in 2033, NAS Kingsville, Texas, receiving 95 plane from 2039, and the remaining 26 plane going to NAS Pensacola, Florida, from 2042.
As a part of this system, the Navy will procure 4 EMD plane, along with two Unit Coaching Units (UTD), two Desktop Avionics Trainers (DAT), three Transient/Debrief Stations (BDS), two Operational Flight Trainers (OFT) and a Floor Primarily based Coaching System Software program Help Station (GBTS SSS). Moreover, the contract may also embody the aforementioned seven LRIP plane.
The price will probably be additionally an essential a part of the choice course of. The contract will embody a Value-Plus-Incentive-Payment (CPIF) part for the EMD, Agency-Mounted Value (FFP) for the LRIP Lot 1 and Value-Plus-Mounted-Payment (CPFF) for Website Activation and I-CLS.
A key parameter in the associated fee analysis would be the whole estimated worth, with the RFP stating that any supply over $1.751 billion “will probably be thought-about unreasonable and due to this fact unawardable.” The choice may also decide whether or not the proposed worth is lifelike, with a restrict set at a complete estimated worth which may’t exceed 115% of the proposed worth.
Moreover, the RFP units a most worth of $52.8 million in Fiscal 12 months (FY) 2027 and $181 million in FY2028. Total, the choice will select the supply which supplies “the ‘finest worth’ to the Authorities.”
The RFP additionally opens to the potential of two presents being chosen “if funding is obtainable and awarding two contracts presents the best worth for the warfighter.” In that case, a single supply will probably be later down-selected.
UJTS Program
The U.S. Navy launched the Undergraduate Jet Coaching System (UJTS) to exchange the getting older T-45 Goshawk fleet. The service is trying to purchase a brand new plane on an “accelerated procured timeline” because it retains dealing with issues with the T-45, which has been in service since 1991.
The brand new plane will notably be utilized in a a lot totally different approach in comparison with the T-45, which has been used to coach future naval aviators to land on plane carriers. In reality, the Navy mentioned “the UJTS air car will solely be required to conduct Area Provider Touchdown Observe (FCLP) to wave off.”
As we beforehand reported, a very good portion of the coaching command’s syllabus is centered across the FCLP, which permits new pilots to coach on land bases for the complete method and touchdown maneuver as carried out on the plane provider, simply in need of the arrested touchdown. With the brand new requirement, future pupil pilots will solely carry out the method part of the present FCLP, going round as soon as reached the minimums, with out touching down on the runway.
The Navy says that this choice, which units a totally totally different route in comparison with the T-45 Goshawk and, beforehand, the T-2 Buckeye, is “on account of developments in operational platform touchdown modes and in ground-based simulation.” This implies the brand new naval aviators will rely extra on automation and carry out full FCLPs solely within the flight simulator.
This has sparked controversy, because the service is now planning to maneuver this a part of the coaching to the Area Alternative Squadrons (FRP), the place the newly appointed naval aviators transition to their assigned plane. That would appear counterproductive as FRPs fly way more costly plane, thus rising the price of coaching.
Nonetheless, this alternative has additionally reflections on the timeline. In reality, eradicating the FCLP portion of the coaching program from UJTS permits a a lot faster fielding of the brand new plane, which might now be additionally an already operational kind.
Thus, the new coach plane won’t require advanced and prolonged structural modifications to be tailored to the brand new position. Usually, an plane that has to lure on the provider and launch from a catapult, or at the least conduct FCLPs, needs to be designed from the bottom up on that premise as a result of the structural design must account for very important stresses throughout provider operations.
With the UJTS, the Navy additionally plans to discipline an in depth Floor Primarily based Coaching System (GBTS). The service is “considering a four-tiered GBTS product line, consisting of Operational Flight Trainers (OFT), Unit Coaching Units (UTD), Cockpit Procedural Trainers (CPT), and Desktop Avionics Trainers (DAT),” full with “Stay/Digital/Constructive (LVC) built-in coaching.”
The attributes requested for the cockpit characteristic the security and environmental traits frequent to all fashionable plane, with a cockpit configuration which mirrors the Navy’s latest fighters. In reality, each the F-35C Lightning II and the F/A-18E/F Tremendous Hornet Block III characteristic Giant Space Shows (LAD) and thus the service is in search of the identical configuration within the new coach.
As for the efficiency, the Navy is in search of an plane able to a velocity of at the least Mach 0.9/450-500 KIAS, sustained AoA over 20 deg, sustained load issue of at the least 6 G, working ceiling of at the least 41,000 ft and switch price of at the least 12 deg/sec. The RFIs additionally talked about wing and/or wingtip pylons for shops carriage, which within the attachment are higher specified as exterior gas tanks, baggage pod and PMBR (Observe A number of Bomb Rack) with six MK-76 kind apply bombs.
The brand new UJTS plane can be required to combine the brand new Precision Touchdown Mode (PLM), which is now on F/A-18s and F-35s and can ultimately be the usual methodology for approaching the plane provider for all naval plane. The PLM is anticipated to drastically scale back the variety of corrections required throughout the closing method to the plane provider.
Among the many firms that may compete for the UJTS are Beechcraft and Leonardo with the M-346N, Boeing with the T-7A (just lately delivered to the U.S. Air Drive), Lockheed Martin and KAI with the TF-50N and Sierra Nevada Company, alongside Northrop Grumman and Common Atomics Aeronautical Methods, with the Freedom Coach.
