U.S. Navy’s Next Trainer Jet Won’t Need to Land on Carriers

[rangerrebew]

U.S. Navy’s Next Trainer Jet Won’t Need to Land on Carriers
Published on: March 31, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Stefano D'Urso Stefano D'Urso
 
The U.S. Navy released a new Request for Information for the T-45’s replacement, which will only be required to conduct Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) to wave off.
On Mar. 31, 2025, the U.S. Navy released yet another Request for Information (RFI) for the program which will replace the aging T-45 Goshawk, the Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS). This should be the program’s fifth RFI, although the final Request for Proposals (RFP) was also expected in late 2024.
 
The U.S. Navy released a new Request for Information for the T-45’s replacement, which will only be required to conduct Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) to wave off.
 
The new RFI comes with updated dates, as the Request for Proposal (RFP) is now expected by December 2025 with a projected contract award in January 2027. The fourth RFI previously pushed the contract award date from Fiscal Year 2026 to Q2FY2028, but the latest RFI now mentions that the “UJTS program is on an accelerated procurement timeline.”

This time, however, it appears that the Navy has finally reached a critical decision, as in 2024 the service was still “carefully considering whether the UJTS air vehicle will need to conduct Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) to touchdown.” In fact, the new RFI now states that “the UJTS air vehicle will only be required to conduct Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) to wave off.”

As we previously reported, a good portion of the training command’s syllabus is centered around the FCLP, which allows new pilots to train on land bases for the entire approach and landing maneuver as performed on the aircraft carrier, just short of the arrested landing. With the new requirement, future student pilots will only perform the approach phase of the current FCLP, going around once reached the minimums, without touching down on the runway.


T-45 out of NAS Kingsville testing the improved Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System (IFLOLS) at NAS JRB Fort Worth during a Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP). (Image credit: Carl Richards via Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base)

The Navy says that this decision, which sets a completely different route compared to the T-45 Goshawk and, previously, the T-2 Buckeye, is “due to advancements in operational platform landing modes and in ground-based simulation.” This means the new naval aviators will rely more on automation and perform complete FCLPs only in the flight simulator.

https://theaviationist.com/2025/03/31/new-usn-trainer-rfi/

[rangerrebew]

As someone who has witnessed thousands of flight deck operations in all kinds of conditions, it seems unimaginable the landings won't be part of the training.

[Timber Rattler]

As someone who has witnessed thousands of flight deck operations in all kinds of conditions, it seems unimaginable the landings won't be part of the training.

The end result will be worse than when the Navy shut down the deck officer ship handling school in 2003 and just handed out instructional CDs for up and coming surface warfare officers.

[MeganC]

The end result will be worse than when the Navy shut down the deck officer ship handling school in 2003 and just handed out instructional CDs for up and coming surface warfare officers.

The Navy has way too many admirals trying to justify their jobs with their bright ideas. I hope DOGE clears out the deadwood so the Navy can get back to its core mission.