The agreement establishes what the companies describe as “Team Freedom,” combining SNC’s clean-sheet aircraft design with Northrop Grumman’s production expertise and GA-ASI’s advanced manufacturing capabilities. The partners said the effort aims to provide a purpose-built, high-performance training solution with low life-cycle costs for Naval Aviation.
Part of SNC’s Freedom Family of Training Systems, the Freedom Trainer is a digitally designed aircraft focused on the naval training mission. It features an open system architecture and is integrated with a comprehensive Ground-Based Training System and Integrated Logistic System to create what the company calls a modern training system-of-systems.
SNC said the Freedom Trainer is the only UJTS entrant designed specifically to meet Naval Aviation’s requirements, including Field Carrier Landing Practice through touchdown. The design ensures early and repeated exposure to the Navy’s no-flare landing technique, reducing reliance on more costly operational aircraft such as the F/A-18, F-35 and F/A-XX later in the training pipeline.
Northrop Grumman will contribute aircraft production experience and manufacturing capacity, while GA-ASI will provide advanced manufacturing technologies. The companies said their capabilities complement SNC’s design and systems integration expertise to deliver a durable and cost-efficient training aircraft.
“We are committed to bringing together a world class team to deliver the Freedom Trainer as the complete solution to prepare our naval aviators with the skills and instincts they need from the start,” said Fatih Ozmen, CEO of SNC. “We look forward to welcoming Northrop Grumman and GA-ASI to Team Freedom. Together, we will shape the future of Naval Aviation training.”
“For decades Northrop Grumman has been a trusted partner in producing next gen aircraft across a spectrum of capability and mission sets, with speed and at scale,” said Tom Jones, president, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. “Leveraging our experience and our investment in capacity in support of this SNC-led team, and delivering this highly capable and efficient training system to the U.S. Navy, is an opportunity we’re excited to be exploring.”
“GA-ASI is excited to join this industry team focused on training solutions for the U.S. Navy,” said GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue. “I expect our advanced manufacturing capabilities to be an important component of Team Freedom.”
According to SNC, the Freedom Trainer offers engine-related life-cycle costs that are 40 percent lower than the current T-45 platform and provides 30 to 40 percent longer sortie durations than competing platforms. The aircraft features a 16,000-hour airframe lifespan and a digital training infrastructure designed to integrate simulators and live aircraft while allowing flexibility for future mission needs.
The company said the Freedom Trainer is intended to replace end-of-life U.S. Navy and international training aircraft at lower operations and maintenance costs. SNC added that the platform also supports Foreign Military Sales opportunities in countries including Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base through American manufacturing partnerships.
