WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Navy officially launched a competition to replace its aging fleet of Boeing T-45 Goshawk trainers with the release of a request for proposal for the Undergraduate Jet Training System. The formal solicitation, posted March 26, marks the end of nearly six years of delays and fact-finding requests. The Navy aims to procure 216 new aircraft, with deliveries expected to begin in 2032.

Under the new requirements, the Navy has eliminated the need for the trainer to perform field carrier landing practice or land on actual aircraft carriers. Instead, student pilots will use frontline aircraft to gain carrier qualifications. A contract award is projected for 2027, with bid submissions due by June 29.

Several defense contractors are likely to bid on the program. Potential offerings include a Navy-specific variant of Boeing’s T-7A Red Hawk and Lockheed Martin’s version of the Korean Aerospace Industries T-50. Other contenders include Textron’s Beechcraft M-346N, developed with Leonardo, and Sierra Nevada’s "Freedom Trainer," a twin-engined, clean-sheet design unveiled last year.

Source: Flightglobal
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/archive/2026/03/us-navy-launches-competition-to-replace-t-45-trainer/

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senior Army aviation leaders expect the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) to reach full qualification by 2028, signaling a recovery for the project following years of delays and a narrow escape from cancellation. The timeline for service entry of the GE Aerospace T901-GE-900 engine, designed to repower UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache helicopters, remains dependent on consistent funding and the completion of roughly 6,500 hours of testing.

The program's future was recently secured after Congress pushed back against an Army plan to sunset the initiative, instead providing $175 million in fiscal 2026 funding and $63 million in reconciliation money. Brig. Gen. David Phillips, deputy of Program Acquisition Executive for Maneuver Air, stated that this support allows the service to continue altitude and flight testing initiated last year. The engine is intended to replace heavier components, providing a 50 percent increase in horsepower and a 25 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

To achieve full qualification, the ITEP must undergo 1,500 hours of ground testing and nearly 5,000 hours of full engine qualification testing. While the Army has not disclosed the total hours completed to date, officials confirmed that flight testing began last May with a Black Hawk and has since expanded to approximately 30 hours of various flight conditions.

Source: Breaking Defense
Associated URL: https://breakingdefense.com/2026/03/army-aiming-for-itep-to-reach-full-qualification-by-2028-senior-leaders-say/

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - The Pentagon has awarded RTX Corp. a $3.81 billion contract modification to produce propulsion systems for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program. The deal finalizes production requirements for Lot 18 and adds F135 engines to support Lot 19 aircraft production.

The new contract covers the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy, along with allied nations and foreign military customers. Funding is drawn from several sources, with more than $1.46 billion provided by foreign military sales and approximately $1.53 billion coming from fiscal 2025 Navy and Air Force procurement accounts.

Work on the propulsion systems will be distributed across dozens of locations, with 17% of the labor concentrated at RTX's Pratt & Whitney facility in East Hartford. Other major work sites include Indianapolis; Middletown, Connecticut; and Kent, Washington. The Naval Air Systems Command is overseeing the contract, which is expected to be completed by March 2028.

Source: U.S. Department of Defense
Associated URL: https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4447598/contracts-for-march-30-2026/