The U.S. Navy ordered T-45 Goshawks to replace the TA-4J Skyhawk in the Advanced Jet Training Program and the T-2 Buckeye in the Intermediate Jet Pilot Training Program. The two-seat, single-engine T-45 Goshawk aircraft trainer is at the heart of the T45TS, the first totally integrated training system developed for the Navy. The T-45C, with a digital cockpit that is more representative of current tactical fighter configurations, made its first flight in October 1997.

Thousands of new naval aviators have earned their wings in the T-45. 234 Goshawks were produced for US Navy and Marine Corps training beyond 2030.

The U.S. Navy's T-45 Goshawk with an engine producing 5,845 pounds of thrust, has a top speed of 620 mph. The aircraft is designed to excel in the rigorous environment of naval aviation training.