The F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin, the primary contractor for the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, announced that deliveries of the first F-35s configured under the Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3) standard began yesterday. This milestone comes after considerable delays, which had paused the release of aircraft by the manufacturer.
According to the F-35 Joint Program Office, Lockheed Martin delivered two F-35A Lightning II jets to the U.S. Air Force. One of the fighters was sent to Dannelly Field, Alabama, home of the 187th Fighter Wing of the Alabama Air National Guard, while the second aircraft was delivered to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
Lieutenant General Mike Schmidt, executive program director of the F-35 Joint Program Office, stated, “We have initiated a phased approach for the delivery of the TR-3 F-35 aircraft. The first phase will deliver jets with initial training capability in July and August. By the end of August, we will deliver aircraft with robust combat training capability, while continuing towards the delivery of full TR-3 combat capabilities in 2025. Our focus has been on providing our customers with stable, capable, and maintainable aircraft, and this phased approach achieves that.”
The integration of new hardware and software improvements, as well as increased processing capacity and computing power for the TR-3 configuration of the F-35 Lightning II, experienced sustained delays in both the flight test campaign and the integration of the configuration in new factory aircraft to be delivered.
This situation created various issues, including difficulties for Lockheed Martin in storing the F-35 Lightning II jets coming off the production line. Various users also expressed concerns, as the F-35 constitutes one of their primary weapons systems. This was the case for the Royal Danish Air Force, which was forced to repatriate its Lightning II jets kept in the U.S. due to delays with the TR-3 configuration.
As detailed, the newly delivered F-35s follow standard government acceptance procedures, which include final airworthiness certifications and corresponding acceptance flights.
Bridget Lauderdale, vice president and general manager of the F-35 Program at Lockheed Martin, stated, “TR-3 and Block 4 represent a critical evolution in capability, and their full development remains a top priority for us. These and other software updates throughout the program’s life will ensure that the F-35 remains effective and the cornerstone of joint operations across all domains now and for decades to come.”
“This is an important first step, and while there is much work to be done, I am confident that our team will work tirelessly to achieve the desired and necessary outcomes that our warfighters, allies, and customers require,” concluded Lieutenant General Mike Schmidt.
Illustrative cover image. Credits: F-35 Joint Program Office.
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