7 July 2026 The US Navy's Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) competition has narrowed to two contenders—Leonardo's M-346N and Sierra Nevada Corporation's clean-sheet Freedom Fighter—following the withdrawal of Boeing's T-7A Red Hawk and Lockheed Martin/KAI's TF-50N. More than a simple aircraft replacement, the $10 billion programme seeks an integrated training system combining aircraft, simulators and digital tools to prepare pilots for fifth- and sixth-generation combat aircraft