A T-45C Goshawk, attached to Training Airwing (TV) 2, launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Michael Gomez)
WASHINGTON — After pushback from industry, the Navy has boosted the budget for developing a new training jet by roughly $900 million, the service confirmed to Breaking Defense.
The Navy in March originally solicited bids for the Undergraduate Jet Training System with a ceiling of roughly $1.8 billion for the aircraft’s engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase, a price cap that included up to seven low-rate initial production aircraft. But in May, the service raised the price ceiling to $2.7 billion, according to an updated request for proposals.
“The Government updated the price cap to reflect a change in the program cost estimate due to new information received,” Naval Air Systems Command said in a statement to Breaking Defense.
Aviation Week, who previously reported the Navy is seeking to order up to 216 aircraft, first reported the price cap increase.
