LA28 reserved the first Olympic tickets for locals. To kick off the second round of ticket sales, it’s a sponsorship connection that could help fans get to the front of the line.
Before the second Olympic ticket drop officially begins Aug. 10, LA28 announced Wednesday there will be a presale for Visa cardholders that will run from July 29-31.
Visa has sponsored the Olympics for 40 years and is the only credit card accepted for payment in Olympic zones. For a chance to be selected for the presale, fans need to first confirm their status as a Visa cardholder. Fans who have already registered can log into their existing LA28 ticket account, check the “Visa presale box” and save changes. New registrants must select the Visa cardholder option during the registration process. All ticket sales during the presale must be completed with a Visa credit card.
Fans can register for the second ticket drop at tickets.la28.org until July 22. Those who already registered for Drop 1 but weren’t selected or didn’t purchase their full 12-ticket allotment do not have to sign up again and are automatically entered into the lottery for Drop 2, which will run from Aug. 10-20.
Fans who are randomly selected for the Visa presale will be notified of their time slot on July 27. Those who aren’t selected for the presale remain eligible for a time slot in Drop 2. Email notifications for Drop 2 time slots will go out from Aug. 6-7.
The second ticket drop will offer tickets across all Olympic sports at a range of price points, LA28 said in a statement, subject to inventory availability. Prices start at $28 for individual tickets, but of the total 1 million $28 Olympic tickets, half were scooped up during the Drop 1 presale that was reserved for locals living near venue cities in Southern California and Oklahoma City.
April’s ticketing debut frustrated fans who were surprised by high prices, a 24% service fee on every ticket and limited inventory for key events. Still, LA28 sold 4 million tickets across 85 countries, a historic number that had International Olympic Committee officials giddy for the potential of the 2028 Games.
“What we thought we were going to sell, and what we thought we were going to get for people who registered for interest, we exceeded those by magnitudes,” LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover told The Times on June 4 after IOC members visited L.A. “We were able to set Olympic records in terms of sale, but I think the broader picture about all of that is people want to be a part of something really big and be part of something here in L.A., a part of history.”
LA28, the organizing committee behind L.A.’s first Olympics in 40 years, expects to generate $2.5 billion in ticketing and hospitality to support what has been advertised as a privately funded Games. The estimated $7.1-billion operations budget is also buoyed by $2.5 billion in expected sponsorship revenue. LA28 already has $2 billion in domestic partnership money.
Nearly 17 years after the King of Pop’s death, Michael Jackson is dominating the box office, television ratings and headlines.
“Michael,” the biopic about the star that hit theaters in April, has surpassed $900 million at box offices globally, according to Deadline, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2026 behind “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” which hit $1 billion. Although “Bohemian Rhapsody” is still the highest-grossing musical biopic, “Michael” is a mere $11 million behind and will likely snag the title in coming weeks.
The film, which stars Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, follows the “Thriller” hitmaker from his early career leading the Jackson Five to reaching pinnacle star status in the late ’80s. The film’s timeline ends before 1993, when Jackson faced sexual abuse allegations brought by 13-year-old Jordan Chandler.
On Tuesday, “Michael” was released to streaming services, and fans at home can rent or buy on-demand from Amazon Prime Video and other platforms.
Also available for streaming is the Netflix docuseries “Michael Jackson: The Verdict,” which became available on June 3 and dominated the streamer’s charts with nearly 18 million views in its first week. The three-part series examines the pop star’s 2005 molestation trial, in which he was acquitted of all charges, and features key players from the trial, including jurors, eyewitnesses and prosecutors.
The lead prosecutor, Ron Zonen, spoke with TMZ on Tuesday and said that, although he wasn’t sure audiences would view the allegations with a different lens 20 years later, he wanted the documentary to be “as accurate as possible” and feature “the perspective of people who were involved in the trial.”
As far as the response from viewers, Zonen told the outlet that he’d received threats via email. “Well, there are people who are fans, who express their displeasure at the position that we took in this documentary, and express their displeasure very clearly to me,” he said, adding that he’s not bothered by the bad blood with mega-fans, and that the threats were more numerous at the time of the trial.
Saturday Kitchen presenter Matt Tebbutt has been at the helm of the BBC cookery show for almost a decade
Matt Tebbutt has been at the helm of the BBC cookery show for almost a decade (Image: BBC)
Saturday Kitchen host Matt Tebbutt has revealed a major confession nearly a decade after succeeding James Martin as the face of the BBC cookery programme.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk at Jeremy Clarkson‘s FarmFest during the May Bank Holiday weekend, he confessed he now finally considers himself a TV chef.
“I think it is fair to say now I am probably a TV chef. I originally started as a working chef doing all the hours for 14 years. That’s a tough game. TV cookery isn’t.
“It comes with other pressures. There are time pressures. Conformity. I mean I’ve always been a chef but I think now it’s veered into ‘TV chef’,” he acknowledged. Discussing his position on the long-standing cookery programme.
He explained, “My job is to make food and cooking look really accessible. We have our guest chef’s on and they’re the kind of the aspirational ones.
“My job is to do those dishes that people will look at and go ‘I could get out of bed now and go to the supermarket and buy those ingredients and make that’.”
“Whether they do or not I don’t know but it is there for them,” he chuckled.
One philosophy Matt is particularly passionate about is the “farm to fork” approach, which was amongst the key reasons he was supporting Farm Fest.
He made an appearance at the festival on Sunday, 24 May, where he delivered a cookery demonstration, gave a talk and even took on the role of judge at the dog show, despite confessing he keeps two cats at home, reports the Express.
“It’s absolutely [great] to be able to support British farmers at a time when the government isn’t and to highlight [what they go through],” he said shortly after his arrival.
“I mean, you see it around you,” he added, gesturing towards the nearby stalls.
“People who are committed to supporting farming and where the food comes from. It’s marvellous. So if I can show support, I will.
“I live in a rural part of Wales, so you see it on a daily basis. You are in pubs with farmers chatting to them, and you know the sort of problems that they are trying to overcome right now, so it is great to support this.”
Saturday Kitchen airs at 9am every Saturday on BBC One and iPlayer
Universal’s highly-anticipated UK theme park will include themed lands, new rides and plenty more surprises – and the Universal United Kingdom Resort just celebrated a big milestone
The new park seems set to bring Universal Studios’ blockbuster magic to the UK
Theme park fans, rejoice; we’re one step closer to Universal opening its new resort in the UK.
For a start, we now officially have a name for the highly-anticipated attraction in Bedfordshire; Universal United Kingdom Resort. Meanwhile, today a series of government officials including Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves attended a milestone moment for the resort, breaking ground to pave the way for construction to begin.
When it does open its doors, it’s sure to be a huge hit for thrill-seekers. Concept imagery of the new attraction shows at least six themed lands and three huge rollercoasters, although Universal has remained tight-lipped about exactly what those lands will include.
The theme park is expected to bring in millions of visitors each year, including over a million from overseas.
We take a look at everything we know so far…
The lands and rides
Universal hasn’t given much away about exactly what the lands and rides will entail, but has previously promised that the theme park will be “unlike anything that exists in the UK”. Its USA-based theme parks in Florida and California both boast theming around the likes of Jurassic World, Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, the Minions and more, so there will no doubt be plenty to play around with for us Brits too. Whatever will be on offer, the resort is set to offer “immersive storytelling, thrilling attractions and hospitality”.
Concept imagery for the resort was released last year and already had theme park fans excited, as it looks like there’s going to be huge rollercoasters too. In fact on the artist’s rendering at least three mega-coasters are visible, as well as plenty of other rides and attractions.
It seems that the entrance will lead you into a large plaza area similar to the ‘CityWalk’ area of Universal Orlando. The plaza and venues will be open to the general public even if they haven’t bought a ticket to the park itself.
For those who do pay for a ticket, once they’re through a large archway, they’ll walk through a long promenade-style street – no doubt also offering a variety of shops and restaurants – before heading into the themed lands with “adrenaline-pumping coaster”, “mind-blowing spectaculars” and “incredible creatures, heroes and villains”.
The opening date
Construction is expected to begin soon on the huge project, with an opening date planned for May 2031. Comcast NBCUniversal has committed to invest over £5bn in the entertainment resort complex during the expected 5 years of construction, as well as an additional £1bn in capital investment over the first 10 years. According to the UK government, this represents “one of the largest ever investments in the UK tourism sector”.
The location
Universal United Kingdom Resort will be located in Bedfordshire. It’s believed that approximately 80% of employees will come from Bedfordshire and the surrounding regions. The Department for Transport is also going ahead with plans to upgrade the surrounding road and rail network, on the A421 and at Wixams station, to make travel to the resort easier.
Mark Woodbury, Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences, said: “Today marks a significant milestone on our journey to bring Universal United Kingdom Resort, featuring immersive storytelling, thrilling attractions and unparalleled creativity and innovation to the UK. This new theme park and resort will create so many new opportunities for the people of Bedford and beyond and allow us to share our distinct experiences with guests from around the world.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “This landmark investment in the heart of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor will unlock nearly £50 billion of economic growth and create tens of thousands of jobs across Bedfordshire in construction, hospitality, creative and technology sectors.
“Our own investment in transport and infrastructure means that local people will benefit — improving connectivity, backing our creative industries, and bringing millions of visitors to the UK from across the world. We have the right economic plan — working with global investors and local leaders so we can deliver jobs, opportunity and long‑term prosperity for Britain.”
What do you think is currently the best theme park in the UK? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem reveals details of Iran’s position on the potential peace agreement with the US. US President Donald Trump earlier revealed the two countries were close to an Memorandum of Understanding.
Claire, from Canada, was 24 years old when she was killed on 11 February 2024.
She was found with a number of serious injuries in a hot tub at a property in the Sandness area, and though emergency services arrived at the scene, she was pronounced dead a short while later.
A new documentary is now revealing the murder trial that followed, as well as sharing the perspective of her grieving family.
The Channel 5 synopsis teases: “Inside the courtroom as a grieving family and an accused partner collide in a murder trial.”
Sharing a clip on social media, Channel 5 warned viewers: “Warning: Some viewers may find the following video distressing.”
They added: “Claire Leveque’s final months reveal a harrowing story of control and abuse. Now, her family cross continents in search of answers, and justice.”
The trailer heard clippings from the trial, with Claire’s family and friends in tears in court.
It also sees testimonies from experts brought in to prove the case, as a person warns: “This is a horror story from the beginning.”
“This was horrific,” one viewer commented to the clip.
Another said: “Horrendous case – can’t imagine how her family & friends coped with that trial.”
Someone else called it “very chilling”, and said “it wasn’t an easy watch”.
“A hard watch,” another agreed, while someone else said: “#MurderinShetland is remarkable television. Do watch it if you can, although it is quite harrowing.”
Ahead of the documentary airing, Gary Davies, consultant editor for commissioning at 5, said: “This thoughtful series gives a deeply human account of an unimaginable tragedy. It shines a light on the justice process and honours the courage of Claire’s family as they seek truth and remembrance.”
Mark Procter, executive producer for Big Little Fish, echoed the sentiment, saying: “We are profoundly grateful to the Judicial Office for Scotland and to everyone who enabled our access to the trial.
“Above all, we are honoured that the Leveque family have entrusted us to document what happened to Claire. We hope this series serves as a respectful tribute – giving her the voice that was so cruelly taken from her.”
Murder in Shetland: Trial by Jury is available to watch on Channel 5.
The Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2026 World Cup announced on Monday the details of the 10 official fan zones that will be set up at locations throughout the L.A. region during the 39-day tournament.
These venues will complement the start of the tournament following the opening of the FIFA Fan Festival Los Angeles, scheduled for June 11–14 at the Coliseum, which will serve as a central gathering point for fans.
The goal is to transform the city into an extended celebration of the World Cup, providing live broadcasts of the matches and various experiences designed to bring the tournament atmosphere to communities throughout L.A.
Match broadcasts in the fan zones will be available via Fox and Telemundo, allowing attendees to follow the tournament live throughout the competition. Each venue will have different programming, so fans are encouraged to check the schedule in advance to be sure they catch their preferred games.
The organizing committee urged fans to plan their travel in advance, highlighting the Metro public transit system as the most convenient option for getting to both FanFest and the various Fan Zones located throughout the region.
Here is the watch party schedule:
The Original Farmers Market: June 18–21
Ticket prices: $5 per day/$17 multi-day pass; free admission for children 3 and under.
It will feature a full lineup of group stage matches, including the United States vs. Australia and Mexico vs. South Korea.
The event will include soccer zones for the whole family, beer gardens, and international cuisine from more than 40 restaurants and specialty market shops.
City of Downey: June 20
Free community event with optional VIP packages available for purchase.
It will feature highlight matches from the group stage, such as Germany vs. Ivory Coast and Tunisia vs. Japan.
There will be an opening ceremony, a massive viewing area, entertainment, soccer exhibitions, an arts and crafts fair, interactive booths, and food and beverage vendors.
Union Station: June 25–28
A free multi-day event in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.
It will feature live broadcasts of key matches and international games, including the United States vs. Turkey.
It will include DJ performances, meet-and-greets with guests, interactive challenges, competitive activities, and immersive experiences.
Hansen Dam Lake: July 2–5
Ticketed outdoor event: $25 general admission, with VIP options available.
The event will feature round of 16 and quarterfinal matches in a festival-like atmosphere.
The event will feature a transformed lakeside area with DJs, international cuisine, beer gardens, an outdoor movie theater, muralists, games with prizes, and continuous entertainment.
Earvin Magic Johnson Park: July 4–5
Free community celebration.
Will include quarterfinal games.
It will feature activities, a community market, local resources, music, food trucks, drinks, and more.
Whittier Narrows Recreation Area: July 9–11
Free community celebration.
It will feature semifinal matches and other moments from the tournament.
It will include cultural activities, a community market and a variety of local dining options. After the matches, fans can tour the park and explore the San Gabriel Valley.
Venice Beach: July 10–11
Ticketed fan zone on the waterfront: general admission starting at $10, with VIP options available.
Will feature single-elimination matches at one of the city’s most iconic destinations.
There will be international food vendors, beverage areas, live music, DJs, cultural performances and additional family-friendly programming.
Fairplex: July 14–15 and 18–19
Ticketed event.
$10 for all four days through May 31; $20 after that date.
VIP options available.
Packages will include multiple matches, including the semifinals, third-place match, and final.
There will be interactive games, recreational activities, appearances by local mascots, educational exhibits on the “science of soccer” and a resident DJ.
San Pedro’s West Harbor: July 14–15 and 18–19
Waterfront experience with ticket: $5 per ticket, with VIP options available.
Will feature the tournament semifinals and final.
Will offer soccer-inspired activities, interactive experiences, food, drinks, and live DJ music.
Downtown Burbank: July 18–19
Ticketed event starting at $25.
The event will feature the tournament’s final matches, including the World Cup final.
The event will include live entertainment, family-friendly games, VIP experiences, and an adjacent free international fair showcasing cuisine and cultural expressions from around the world.
LONDON — In the world of diplomatic faux pas, it could have been a lot worse.
At Tuesday’s state dinner honoring King Charles III and Queen Camilla, President Trump said that during a private meeting earlier in the day the British monarch had agreed with him that Iran should never be allowed to have nuclear weapons.
“We’re doing a little Middle East work right now … and we’re doing very well,” Trump told the audience. “We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever — Charles agrees with me, even more than I do — we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.”
While many Britons would agree with the president’s sentiment, the comment triggered mild consternation among pundits in the U.K.
By convention, people aren’t supposed to relay private conversations with the monarch. That is partly because the king has to remain above the political fray, but also because the sovereign doesn’t have the ability to wade into a public debate and correct the record if he’s misquoted.
“Generally, as a matter of protocol, I think I would expect discussions between heads of state to be sort of behind the scenes, in those closed meetings, for those to be sort of kept private,” said Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London. “And, you know, this was something that the U.K. government wanted to avoid.”
There had been a fair amount of jitters before the king’s trip to the United States, which comes amid Trump’s very public frustration with U.K. Prime Minster Keir Starmer over his failure to support U.S. actions in the Iran war.
Like all royal visits, this is a carefully choreographed diplomatic event carried out at the request of the U.K. government, which hopes that warm relations between the king and Trump can help repair the rift.
But Trump is an unconventional leader who has a penchant for breaking protocol, and there were concerns about just what he might say or do.
At least in this case, the king’s comments seemed clearly within the bounds of existing U.K. government policy.
“The King is naturally mindful of his government’s long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement designed to provide context to the president’s remarks.
Prescott said that “in a sense, this was always the issue, just what Trump would do or say — would he put the king in an embarrassing position?’’ Prescott said.
“You always had that sort of issue of what he would post on social media,” he said. “And I think, you know, this could have been much, much worse.”
Before the state dinner, Charles gave a speech to a joint session of U.S. Congress. The king received repeated standing ovations during the address, which celebrated the longstanding bonds between the U.S. and Britain while nodding to differences over NATO, support for Ukraine and the need to combat climate change.
Now, from the U.K. government’s point of view, the trip is shifting to safer ground as the king and queen leave Washington behind and head to New York, where the focus will be on the city’s creative industries, rather than politics.
The most difficult part of the trip may be over, Prescott said.
“If this is the only controversy arising out of this phase of the state visit, I think overall this has been an enormous success for the king and the British government, because the king was able to make some quite pointed remarks in Congress and it hasn’t really yielded any sort of negative reaction from the president.”
“In a sense,” he said, “you get the feeling that the king rather charmed Washington with his speech to Congress and, you know, his very witty speech at the state banquet.”
The U.S. Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) competition to replace the T-45 Goshawk is accelerating toward one of the most consequential training decisions in decades. The Navy has now issued its eagerly-anticipated Final Request For Proposals – an inflection point in the long-running effort to field 216 modern jet trainers for the next generation of naval aviators.
Amid this pivotal moment, SNC is leading a powerhouse team that has developed the only clean-sheet design in the running: the Freedom Trainer. Built specifically to address the Navy’s evolving carrierborne training needs, the Freedom Trainer aims to deliver modern capability at significantly reduced lifecycle cost.
An artist rendition of two SNC Freedom Trainers. SNC
SNC is partnering with Northrop Grumman, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., and CAE, leveraging advanced production, manufacturing, and synthetic training expertise to create a comprehensive, integrated family of training systems.
“SNC’s Team Freedom brings the agility of a disruptor and the reliability of our well-established defense partners to bear so that we can deliver what the Navy wants, on the aggressive timeline it set,” says Jon Piatt, executive vice president at SNC.
Why the Navy’s training model is changing
Core requirements for the T-45 replacement have shifted dramatically. Advances in automated carrier landing technologies and increasingly capable simulation environments have altered the Navy’s perspective on how student naval aviators should be trained. The service has already removed carrier qualifications from the T-45 syllabus, one of the most significant training changes in decades, and plans for UJTS could further reshape how training occurs ashore.
A major driver of this debate centers around Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP), the land-based surrogate for shipboard carrier landings. Traditionally performed to touchdown, these aggressive, un-flared landings, or “bouncing,” replicate the forces and precision required aboard the carrier. But for UJTS, the Navy has removed the requirement for FCLP-to-touchdown, instead calling only for FCLP-to-wave off.
The Freedom Trainer is designed to be able to fly FCLP-to-touchdown. SNC
This change dramatically broadens the aperture for competitors. Trainers designed for land-based operations can meet wave-off profiles without requiring the structural upgrades typical of Navy aircraft. But this also introduces concerns about the long-term impact on aviator proficiency, and whether foundational carrier skills can be taught effectively without actual touchdown repetition.
The FCLP equation and its implications for the fleet
FCLP has long been considered essential for preparing student naval aviators for the demands of carrier aviation. A Navy spokesperson reaffirmed to TWZ in August 2025 that “Field Carrier Landing Practice landings ashore are still required for graduation,” though did not specify whether touchdown was still necessary.
Touchdown landings impose tremendous structural loads on an aircraft, particularly landing gear and associated components. Removing this requirement opens the competition to off-the-shelf trainers such as the T-7 Red Hawk, Korean-built TF-50N, and the Italian M-346N. These jets can perform FCLP-to-wave-off but not repeated unflared touchdowns without extensive structural reinforcement.
SNC argues that this shift elevates readiness and cost risk. “FCLP-to-touchdown is a tried and trusted method to train naval aviators,” says Derek Hess, vice president of strategy at SNC. “Not performing carrier qualification or FCLPs-to-touchdown essentially defers that training to the fleet replacement squadrons with their 4th-, 5th-, and soon, 6th-generation fighters which would be a very expensive use of those precious assets.”
In other words: the Navy can remove the requirement, but the fleet will still pay the bill.
Why a clean-sheet matters
The Navy’s decision not to mandate touchdown capability fundamentally changes the nature of the competition. Legacy trainers can now be offered at lower upfront cost, but at the expense of performance characteristics essential to naval aviation.
SNC is blunt on this point: the Freedom Trainer is the only aircraft in the field that can perform FCLP-to-touchdown without major modification because it is purpose-built to meet Navy training standards. SNC believes this is the defining advantage of a true naval trainer.
Where its competitors adapt land-based jets for a naval training mission, the Freedom Trainer is engineered from inception for the pounding, the control margins, and the durability required for FCLPs-to-touchdown.
A view of the Freedom Trainer’s tandem cockpit arrangement. SNC
Clean-sheet means a whole new approach
The Freedom Trainer offers improvements over the T-45, while delivering dramatically lower lifecycle costs. Hess explains that lifecycle economics are central to SNC’s approach: only about 10 percent of lifecycle cost is tied to research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) and 30 percent for procurement, while roughly 60 percent stems from operations and sustainment.
“From a business perspective, you can pay more in the RDT&E phase and still dramatically reduce your lifecycle costs,” Hess says. “We’re employing a more businesslike approach to training that balances training costs holistically across the lifecycle of the aircraft.”
To achieve this, SNC leverages advanced digital engineering to reduce risk and ensure real-world fidelity. “Digital engineering has evolved significantly over the last 10 years,” Hess says, pointing to Northrop Grumman’s work on the B-21 Raider as a benchmark for its modeling environment.
The Freedom Trainer’s mission systems architecture is built using Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and is delivered with full technical and data rights – ensuring the Navy retains long-term control and interoperability.
Designed for the mission: performance and durability
The aircraft’s design reflects a deliberate choice to provide representative fighter performance at dramatically lower cost. The Freedom Trainer’s design reflects a deliberate philosophy: deliver the handling qualities and durability of a fighter‑representative aircraft without imposing fighter‑level sustainment costs. Rather than itemizing features in a list, SNC emphasizes that the jet’s airframe, engines and performance envelope all work together to meet the Navy’s demanding syllabus.
The Freedom Trainer is designed to provide fighter-like performance at lower cost. SNC
At its core, the Freedom Trainer is built around a 16,000‑hour airframe that’s engineered to withstand up to 35,000 carrier‑style landings. This level of durability is essential for repetitive FCLP operations, especially un-flared touchdowns that impose loads far more intense than standard runway operations. By designing the structure from day one to accept these stresses, SNC ensures the aircraft can train pilots to full carrier‑representative standards while avoiding the costly structural fatigue associated with modifying older, land‑based designs.
Power comes from a pair of Williams FJ44‑4M engines, selected not only for reliability but also for their lower operating cost compared to legacy trainer engines. These efficient turbofans help reduce support burdens by an estimated 40 percent relative to the T‑45, while enabling longer sorties on less fuel than the competition.
Performance‑wise, the Freedom Trainer provides the maneuvering capabilities student naval aviators must master before transitioning to fleet aircraft. With a −3 to +8 G envelope and angles of attack (AoA) reaching up to 27 degrees, the aircraft exposes students to the high‑AoA handling characteristics relevant to modern 4th‑ and 5th‑generation fighters. Yet SNC deliberately designed the jet to avoid the transonic regime, which typically demands larger thrust margins and higher fuel consumption to accomplish the same training maneuvers. By staying sub‑transonic, the aircraft maintains fighter‑representative handling qualities while keeping lifecycle costs far below those of high‑performance jets.
“You don’t need a fighter to learn how to fly a fighter,” Hess notes. “You need a trainer engineered for Navy training missions that create graduates who are ready for FRS training and beyond.”
The Freedom Trainer features twin Williams FJ44-4M engines. SNC
LVC: The synthetic backbone of modern training
Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) training is now central to the Navy’s future training enterprise. The service intends to offload many carrier operations scenarios into synthetic environments as part of its modernization journey.
The Freedom Trainer’s LVC environment, developed with CAE, includes synthetic radar, targeting pods, and augmented reality tactical scenarios that replicate beyond visual range (BVR) and within visual range (WVR) engagements. Hess notes that many mission training functions can be downloaded from frontline squadrons, producing far more capable pilots at much lower cost.
“Ultimately, flying 4th- and 5th-gen fighters with modern flight control systems isn’t hard these days,” Hess says. “The tough part is employing the aircraft. That’s where we excel with our LVC capabilities.”
Turning clean-sheet into reality: timeline and industrial base
The final RFP envisions Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) beginning with up to two contract awards in 2027, delivering four EMD aircraft followed by seven low-rate production jets beginning in 2032. The goal is initial operating capability in 2035.
Hess is confident SNC can meet the timeline. With a restructured Navy acquisition enterprise and strong industrial partners, the Freedom Team argues it is well positioned to deliver a future-focused foundation for Navy training.
“Our primary focus is to deliver a trainer that meets the demanding needs of naval aviation with zero compromise,” Hess says. “We believe the next-generation navy trainer must enable efficient sortie generation, evolve with technology, and strengthen the nation’s industrial base.”
The bottom line: improving training while reducing cost
SNC positions the Freedom Trainer as a solution that protects naval aviation’s most critical training standards while delivering significant lifecycle savings. The company argues that deferring essential skills like FCLP-to-touchdown to the fleet imposes an unnecessary cost and readiness burden.
The Freedom Trainer is designed to lower lifecycle costs for the Navy. SNC
“If aviators aren’t learning these key skills while they’re earning their Wings of Gold,” Hess says, “they will have to learn it in a much more complex, more expensive, and more scarce resource – frontline gray jet fleet fighters.”
A compelling candidate for the future fleet
The Navy’s next trainer will shape every aviator who enters the fleet for generations to come. The Freedom Trainer’s clean-sheet approach positions it as a contender capable of improving Naval training capabilities while reducing cost.
For a decision as consequential as UJTS, SNC’s argument is clear: choose a trainer designed for the Navy’s mission – not adapted to it.
French actor Tahar Rahim revealed how he and his co-star Izuka Hoyle were handcuffed together during filming for four months.
Speaking about the challenges of filming while attached to his co-star, The Serpent actor explained: “Being handcuffed to someone for four months filming could easily be a nightmare, but Izuka is a beautiful soul.
“We got on incredibly well and became real friends. She’s my partner in crime. It was a pleasure.”
The pair star as highly valued prisoner and mafia informant Tibor Stone (Rahim) and prison transport officer Amber Todd (Hoyle) respectively.
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After their prison convoy is attacked by the organised crime group that Stone is testifying against, Todd makes the split-second decision to handcuff herself to him and ensure he makes it to court for the trial in four days’ time.
However, Tibor isn’t just any informant; he’s a trained assassin and can take out many of the people sent to eliminate him before he can reveal all.
This required both Rahim and Hoyle to jointly perform stunts while their characters were handcuffed.
Addressing these challenges, the Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee explained: “Being handcuffed during big stunt sequences made things more complex.
“Our stunt team was brilliant and inventive, open to ideas and incredibly collaborative.
“Izuka and I had to constantly adapt and choreograph every movement together.
“Izuka has great instincts and she’s strong, which made everything easier. I decided to just flow with her and to treat it like a dance.
“For me, acting with a partner is a kind of dance: you listen, you feel, you respond.”
Meanwhile, Big Boys and Scottish BAFTA winner Hoyle explained: “Having them on made us realise just how close we were going to be to each other for such a long period of time, and that took some getting used to.
“Tahar is incredible. He’s physically fit, so in terms of us pushing each other, it was great.
“Our competitive streaks would come out… ‘We can go faster than that. We can do better than that. We can push harder than that.’ And we did. Everyone around us would be like, ‘F****g hell’.”
Prisoner will be released on Sky as a boxset on Thursday, April 30
