The US Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) has placed its first two T-45 Goshawk aircraft in a life extension program.
Announced in August 2024, the T-45 maintenance initiative supports the service’s broader goal of addressing pilot training gaps while it awaits the development and fielding of a replacement aircraft for the aging fleet.
The legacy system is the primary two-seater platform used by the navy and marine corps for a qualification to certify personnel in flying other carrier vessel-capable planes.
Under the T-45 extension scheme, one of the initial Goshawks will receive a wing swap, while the other will be submitted for full-scale service life extension work.
Wings to be used for the first plane will be a customized repair package to boost timeline efficiency.
Repairs for both aircraft will take place incrementally, focusing first on the wings before bringing in the full aircraft for a complete overhaul.
Revamp Through 2036
The navy is partnered with V2X, a Virginia-based defense contractor, as well as the Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office (PMA-273) and the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA), to manage the T-45’s “organizational-level, intermediate-level, and depot-level maintenance.”
“The T-45 aircraft encompasses 29 distinct configurations, making the partnership with V2X particularly critical,” FRCSE Business Development Office Aircraft, Structural and Mechanical Component Lead James Bock stated.
Bock explained that training is customized for each specific type of aircraft, so it’s important to make sure their technicians are well trained on the exact models they’ll be working on.
“Throughout a full service life extension repair, there are 17 technical directives that must be accurately completed, underscoring the complexity and importance of the collaboration in support of fleet requirements.”
The life extension effort will be carried out through 2036.
The Boeing T-45
The T-45, produced by Boeing, measures 39 feet (12 meters) long and has a wingspan of 31 feet (9 meters).
It is fitted with a Rolls-Royce Turbomeca F405 engine, two-way voice transceivers, an identification friend-or-foe system, radar, and navigational suite, and can be armed with underwing hardpoints for bombing practice.
The plane has a top speed of 575 knots (662 miles/1,065 kilometers per hour), a range of 700 nautical miles (806 miles/1,296 kilometers), and an operational altitude of 30,000 feet (9,144 meters).
The US Navy and Marine Corps have approximately 180 T-45s in their inventory.
