The aerospace giant voluntarily decided not to pursue the “Undergraduate Jet Training System” successor to the T-45 Goshawk trainer aircraft, citing the logistical difficulties involved.

Aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin has a long and storied relationship with the United States Navy. It produces the Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, Aegis Combat Systems, and the MK 41 Vertical Launching System for the Navy; it also developed the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), and it is the lead contractor of a consortium with Marinette Marine on the Freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS) program. The Navy also relies heavily on the Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky helicopters, operating aircraft such as the MH-60R/S Seahawk.

However, the aerospace firm’s ties with the US Navy for the development of fixed-wing aircraft seem less clear. Even as the US Navy continues to acquire additional F-35C Lightning II carrier-based fighters, Lockheed Martin is out of the F/A-XX program to develop the sixth-generation replacement for the aging F/A-18 Super Hornet.

Last week, it was reported that the largest global defense contractor won’t bid for the contract to build the trainer that will replace the T-45 Goshawk. The company opted not to enter the Navy’s competition for the trainer.

“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 company said in a statement, according to Breaking Defense. “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 [Golden Eagle] platform is a leading-edge fighter trainer with strong capabilities and future potential.”

Lockheed Martin had been expected to partner with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which would have offered the TF-50N variant of KAI’s T-50 Golden Eagle. However, the US contractor opted not to move forward, instead focusing on other programs.

The competition for the Goshawk’s successor is expected to be highly competitive, and Lockheed Martin may still be stinging from losing the United States Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) contract to major competitor Boeing. Lockheed Martin has since proposed developing a “Ferrari” variant of its F-35, serving as a bridge between the fifth-generation Lightning II and Boeing’s sixth-generation F-47, which could be well over a decade away.

Just weeks before Boeing was awarded the NGAD contract, Lockheed Martin was also eliminated from the F/A-XX competition. Boeing and Northrop Grumman are the two finalists for the F/A-XX; a final decision is expected in the late summer or fall.

Lockheed Martin Would Have Needed a New Production Line

Another consideration for Lockheed Martin has been its ability to produce another aircraft, one that might not have as long a production run as the F-35 or the F-16 Fighting Falcon, with the latter now in the Block 70/72. Winning the trainer competition would have required a new production line, which could be quite costly.

“It’s just economics,” Tony Bancroft, portfolio manager of Gabelli Funds’ GCAD aerospace and defense exchange-traded fund, told Flight Global of Lockheed Martin’s decision.

Beyond the production line, building the TF-50N domestically would have required a new supply chain to address the “Buy American” regulations, which require large contracts to use a US manufacturer and a majority of US components. This would be a problem for the TF-50, which, as Bancroft noted, is “a Korean plane for the most part.”

Three Competitors Remain for the T-45 Successor Program

With Lockheed Martin-KAI out of the running, it leaves just three competitors for the US Navy trainer contract, specifically Textron/Leonardo M-346N, which is based on the Italian Aermacchi M-346 Master; the Boeing/Saab T-7 Red Hawk, a transonic trainer already being adopted by the US Air Force to replace the Northrop T-39 Talon as its advanced jet trainer; and SNC Freedom, a design that hasn’t entered production.

The US Navy seeks to replace its T-45 fleet beginning in the early 2030s.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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