EXCLUSIVE: Lockheed exits Navy trainer aircraft competition
WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin has determined to not pursue a competition for a brand new Navy coaching jet, the corporate advised Breaking Defense.
“Following formal notification to the US Navy, Lockheed Martin has decided not to pursue the UJTS [Undergraduate Jet Training System] solicitation after careful analysis,” the corporate mentioned in assertion. “We will continue to focus on delivering innovative training solutions and seek opportunities to strengthen our partnership with the US Navy. “We remain confident the T-50 platform is a leading-edge fighter trainer with strong capabilities and future potential.”
Lockheed’s shock exit from the coaching jet competition — the place the world’s largest protection contractor was poised to bid the TF-50N in partnership with Korea Aerospace Industries — narrows the sector of rivals to a few, and comes shortly after the service released a final request for proposals (RFP) to business.
Asked why the corporate elected to not pursue the bid, a Lockheed spokeperson advised the corporate “conducted a rigorous assessment of the UJTS solicitation and determined our offering would not be the best solution for this program due to the required level of US content and other reasons.”
The UJTS choice didn’t come up throughout a Lockheed monetary earnings name this morning, the place elsewhere firm executives disclosed a $125 million cost to the F-16 fighter program because of “production performance and development delays,” in addition to a $55 million hit to the C-130 transport aircraft program attributed to provider constraints.
Other Competitors Talk Up Aircraft At SAS
The UJTS competition is supposed to switch the Navy’s getting older T-45 Goshawk. The RFP, launched in March, capped engineering and manufacturing growth at $1.8 billion, whereas setting particular spending limits for early levels of this system. The Navy expects to order as much as 216 aircraft, in keeping with Aviation Week.
Unlike the T-45, the UJTS platform is just not being designed to land on aircraft carriers. It may even not be required to conduct subject provider touchdown follow (FCLP) to the touch down, the place pilots land on a runway just like how they’d on an aircraft provider. Instead, the aircraft will solely should help FCLP to wave off; As a outcome, rivals should share “unique aircraft simulation capabilities” to organize aviators for provider landings, in keeping with the Navy’s RFP.
At least in relation to the UJTS program, Lockheed notably stored a low profile this week on the Sea Air Space convention in National Harbor, Md., one of many largest annual Navy-focused conferences. Other rivals, nonetheless, had been very happy to debate their bids.
Textron Aviation Defense in partnership with Leonardo, for instance, is providing the Beechcraft M-346N. Company CEO Travis Tyler highlighted the Navy’s present use of Textron aircraft just like the T-6A Texan II and T-54A Marlin II, saying in an interview with Breaking Defense that the service “is our No.1 priority.”
“And we have this incredible airplane that’s proven, mature,” Tyler mentioned of the M-346N on the sidelines of the Sea Air Space on Monday. “We think it’s the right fit for the Navy to continue to train before they ultimately go on to the fighters.”
Asked in regards to the RFP, Tyler mentioned, “We were prepared. We wouldn’t be in this competition with this airplane if we didn’t think it was the right fit,” he added. “So, we’re excited.”
SNC, for its half, is offering its Freedom Trainera design the corporate has beforehand pioneered however has not entered manufacturing. The agency has teamed with different business heavyweights like General Atomics and Northrop Grumman, and is particularly crafting its bid to be able to subject provider touchdown follow to the touch down.
“We have a very solid design we put together in support of pursuing this,” Jon Piatt, SNC government vice chairman for ISR, aviation and safety, mentioned in an interview with Breaking Defense forward of the convention. Touting years of firm funding within the Freedom Trainer idea, Piatt asserted that the aircraft is purposely designed for Navy necessities.
“What sets us apart is we really are taking a straight, clean look at the requirements. We’ve ensured that some adoptions that we’re making now in our current design, of the digital design that we have is modified to be aligned to those requirements, while we’re also continuing to be very conscious and cognizant about the life cycle cost,” he mentioned.
Still, Piatt did increase one space of concern: this system’s finances cap, about which Piatt mentioned he felt “not good.” I’ve famous that the finances ceiling additionally particulars the supply of a number of aircraft.
“I am a little bit surprised that for something this important, for the next generation of trainer, that the Navy would make a decision to put a cap on a development program that is already going to be hamstrung by budget constraints in the first two years of what has currently been budgeted,” he mentioned. “It’s a big challenge. It could be a big obstacle.”
Boeing, which has beforehand mentioned it could compete for UJTS, declined to remark. Lockheed’s associate KAI couldn’t be instantly reached for remark.
Valerie Insinna contributed to this report. This report was up to date 4/23/2026 at 12:37pm ET to right a reference to Textron Aviation Defense.
