--- title: "M-346N Pitched To Replace Navy’s T-45 Goshawk Jet Trainers" description: "The Navy has meanwhile decided that its new jet trainer will not have to operate from aircraft carriers. The Navy has meanwhile decided that its new jet trainer will not have to operate from aircraft carriers." date: "2025-04-09" modified: "2025-04-09" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/m-346n-pitched-to-replace-navys-t-45-goshawk-jet-trainers" categories: - "Air" - "Flight Training" - "Navies" - "Sea" - "Trainers" - "U.S. Navy" tags: - "Sea Air Space 2025" - "Tailhook 2025" --- # M-346N Pitched To Replace Navy’s T-45 Goshawk Jet Trainers ![M346N Navy trainer]() *Jamie Hunter* In partnership with Leonardo, Textron continues to offer the M-346N to meet the U.S. Navy’s requirement for a new jet trainer, to replace the aging [T-45 Goshawk](). *TWZ* caught up with Textron Aviation Defense’s Steven “JoJo” Helmer, flight test and demonstration pilot, at the Sea-Air-Space Conference this week in National Harbor, Maryland, to get a better understanding of the joint proposal. This is based around a Navy-specific version of the [M-346](), but, as he explains, this is just one component of a fully integrated training system. ***Check out all the latest on the M-346N offering in our video below:*** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBD1vlIYAwU After all, a big part of the Textron-Leonardo team’s pitch is that the M-346 isn’t just a jet, but it is tied into a whole training enterprise that is already in use on a global scale, including for international F-35 pilot training. In June of last year, the Navy [released a new request for information]() for its new trainer, under the Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) program. Helmer says he expects the service to award a contract for its new jet trainer in early 2027. In the past, the Navy has indicated a minimum buy of 145 aircraft. While the Navy had been grappling with [whether or not its new jet trainer needs to be carrier-capable](), Helmer tells *TWZ* that the Navy has now signaled to the company that the “aircraft carrier is no longer going to be a direct part of real aircraft training,” with carrier approaches to be practiced from land bases and in the simulator. You can read more in detail about the arguments the Navy presented in the past for making this decision [here](). The M-346N will offer some unique features over likely competitors, including twin engines. Although M-346 is not a supersonic trainer with an afterburner, the aircraft is still highly maneuverable and features a throttle detent system that mimics an afterburner to new pilots. The competition to replace the T-45 should heat up soon, with the lack of a carrier operations requirement accelerating the acquisition of the aircraft, while also opening the aperture for more types to easily compete for the contract. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()