Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) did not submit a proposal for the US Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) by the 30 October deadline, leaving Textron Aviation Defense’s M-346N as the only known bid from a major established aircraft manufacturer. The Navy has not selected a winner, and the program office now intends to award the contract in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027, between July and September 2027.
SNC attributed its decision to the current contract structure, which it said did not allow the company to bid responsibly. It remains committed to naval jet training and is prepared to re-engage if the Navy revisits its approach. Textron confirmed that it submitted its M-346N proposal.
The field has narrowed from several major aerospace bidders. Lockheed Martin withdrew in April, Boeing followed in June, and Northrop Grumman had left SNC’s team by September. Stavatti Aerospace has also reported submitting a proposal, so Textron is not necessarily the sole bidder; it is the only known bid from an established aircraft manufacturer.
UJTS is intended to replace the T-45 Goshawk, which has trained Navy and Marine Corps aviators for carrier aviation and tactical strike missions since the early 1990s. The Navy extended the proposal deadline from 30 June to 30 October. Its latest target for a contract award is later than the previously planned June 2027 window.