‘‘The T-45 holds a distinguished place in U.S. Navy history,” said Rear Adm. W. Mark Skinner, Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs. ‘‘In fact, Vice Adm. Dave Venlet, the commanding officer of Naval Air Systems Command, was the first Navy pilot to land onboard an aircraft carrier in a T-45.”

Skinner said that more than 3,600 Navy and Marine Corps pilots have flown the Goshawk since Venlet’s maiden landing, as they trained to convert to the Hornet, Super Hornet, Growler, Prowler and Harrier.

According to Shelley Lavender, vice president and general manager for Global Strike Systems, the Goshawk team has a remarkable legacy filled with significant milestones that include the 932,000 flight hours flown by thousands of Navy and Marine Corps aviators and flight officers, while earning their wings in the T-45.

‘‘I'm proud in knowing that this jet, and all its accompanying training components, has made a mark in naval aviation and in the lives of thousands of brave men and women who choose to serve their country,” said Lavender.

Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office (PMA-273) Program Manager Capt. Andrew Hartigan thanked the Boeing team for its dedication to the T-45 and the men and women who train in them daily.

The T-45 is the only jet training aircraft in the U.S. military's inventory that enables undergraduate pilots to land on and takeoff from an aircraft carrier. The T-45 will continue to serve the Navy through 2035.