The TR-3 F-35 Fighter Nightmare Isn't over Just Yet

Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Air Force has received the first two Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters equipped with the Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3) update. Delivered to Dannelly Field, Alabama, and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, the jets mark the beginning of a phased approach to providing full TR-3 capabilities by 2025.

-While these initial deliveries include basic training capabilities, full combat capabilities are still in development.

-The TR-3 update, crucial for enhancing the F-35's digital infrastructure and weapon systems, has faced delays causing a freeze in aircraft deliveries since July 2023. With nearly 100 F-35s still in storage, the journey to resolving the TR-3 issues continues.

F-35 Deliveries Resume – But The TR-3 Nightmare Isn't Over Yet

The first two Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters equipped with the truncated version of the Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3) update have been delivered to the United States Air Force , according to the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) and the aerospace giant. One of the fifth-generation multirole fighters has been delivered to Dannelly Field, Alabama, while the other arrived at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada last week.

"We have initiated a phased approach to the delivery of TR-3 F-35 aircraft," said Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, the JPO's program executive officer. "The first phase will deliver jets with an initial training capability in July and August. By the end of August, we will be delivering jets with a robust combat training capability, as we continue towards the delivery of full TR-3 combat capabilities in 2025. Our focus has been on providing our customers with aircraft that are stable, capable, and maintainable, and this phased approach does that."

The JPO and Lockheed Martin further announced that the two newly delivered aircraft met the "standard government acceptance procedures," which included the final airworthiness certifications as well as check-out flights.

"TR-3 and Block 4 represent a critical evolution in capability and their full development remains a top priority for us," added Bridget Lauderdale, vice president and general manager of the F-35 Program, Lockheed Martin. "These and further software updates over the life of the program will ensure the F-35 continues to be an effective deterrent and the cornerstone of joint all-domain operations now and decades into the future."

TR-3 Delays

As previously reported, the TR-3 is meant to provide numerous enhancements to the Block 4 models of aircraft, and its delay caused the Pentagon to refuse to accept any new F-35 aircraft since July 2023. TR-3 has been seen as crucial for enhancing the jet's digital infrastructure and weapon systems.

"We are starting to accept deliveries of TR-3...It is a truncated version...and does not have all the functionality that we want, but it is far enough along that we can accept delivery now," Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall told reporters, per Reuters.

According to the JPO, TR-3 provides "the computational horsepower to support modernized Block 4 capabilities for the F-35 including new sensor suites, more long-range precision weapons, improved electronic warfare features, more powerful data fusion, and increased cross-platform interoperability. These capabilities provide the warfighter a combat-edge to identify, track, engage, and survive against advanced air, ground, and cyber threats. TR-3 significantly updates core processing power and memory capacity, which will allow the F-35 to run advanced software packed with state-of-the-art warfighting capabilities."

It was only on July 3 that Schmidt, after extensive coordination with U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps officials, Joint Strike Fighter Executive Steering Board, pilots, maintainers, and industry, made the decision to move forward with the truncation plan for TR-3 software, according to F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Russ Goemaere.

Not the End of the Nightmare Quite Yet

During the delivery freeze, Lockheed Martin continued to produce the aircraft, and nearly 100 of the advanced aircraft had been sitting in storage – and it was reported earlier this month that aviation giant Lockheed Martin would only be responsible for covering up to $100,000 in any damage that the aircraft might receive from weather-related incidents. U.S. taxpayers might be forced to pick up the bill for any repairs that are required as the result of the Lightning IIs being stored on the tarmac.

Even as the first two have been delivered, it would take nearly a year to clear out the backlog of F-35s, a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report warned.

"Don't think that the TR-3 problems are over," Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, told Defense News at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) air show in the UK on Saturday. "We do have a working software in TR-3 that is definitely good enough for training. … But there's more to go."

Almost 100 F-35s in fact!

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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