WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sierra Nevada Corp. has withdrawn from the U.S. Navy’s competition for a new trainer jet, leaving a Textron Aviation Defense-led bid offering the Leonardo M-346 as the only remaining contender.
The company said the Navy’s acquisition structure drove its decision, arguing the solicitation required firm, fixed-price production commitments before the aircraft design had fully matured. That created the risk that future design changes could lead to cost increases and schedule delays.
The Undergraduate Jet Training System program aims to replace the Navy’s fleet of 188 Boeing T-45 Goshawks. Sierra Nevada had offered the Freedom Trainer, a clean-sheet design unveiled in 2025 with a two-seat, tandem cockpit and twin Williams International FJ44-4M turbofans. Its exit follows withdrawals by Boeing in May and Lockheed Martin in June. Boeing cited the solicitation’s engine requirements, which would have required significant rework of its T-7A Red Hawk. Final bids were due Oct. 30.
Textron confirmed on Nov. 4 that it submitted a final bid, making it the presumptive winner. The Kansas-based company has partnered with Italian airframer Leonardo on the Beechcraft M-346N, a U.S.-built variant of the M-346 Block 20 featuring an all-glass cockpit and an embedded training system that simulates weapons, sensors and enemy targets.
