Boeing has officially withdrawn the T-7A Red Hawk from the US Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System competition on 12 June 2026, citing failure to meet Navy-specific requirements. The decision eliminates a leading contender already entering Air Force service, narrowing the race to two teams: Sierra Nevada Corporation’s clean-sheet Freedom Trainer and Textron/Leonardo’s M-346N. Boeing’s statement indicates the GE Aerospace F404 engine would require incompatible long-cycle development to satisfy Navy qualification standards, undermining the program’s initial operational capability target. This exit follows Lockheed Martin’s earlier withdrawal, leaving the Navy to select a contract winner by mid-2027 for 216 new trainers replacing the aging T-45 Goshawk fleet. The outcome accelerates the Navy’s trainer replacement timeline while redirecting Boeing toward sixth-generation fighter priorities.