Delays in TR-3 software pushes out Belgian F-35A delivery timeline
Belgium chose the F-35A over the Eurofighter Typhoon for the replacement programme of its F-16 fleet in 2018. (Photo: Belgian Air Force Twitter)
Belgium's plans to integrate F-35A fighter jets from Lockheed Martin hit a roadblock due to persistent delays in the deployment of the Technology Refresher 3 (TR-3) software.
Lockheed Martin is set to complete the assembly of the first two F-35A for the Belgian Air Force by the end of this year, but Belgium will not accept them due to delays in the introduction of Technology Refresher 3 (TR-3) software, Lockheed Martin told Shephard.
Belgium's request to purchase 34 F-35As, including four spare Pratt & Whitney engines, was approved by the US State Department in January 2018. The estimated cost of the FMS acquisition is $6.53 billion.
Belgium had chosen the F-35A over the Eurofighter Typhoon for the replacement programme of its F-16 fleet.
The F-35A Lightning
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
![Paris Air Show 2025: Aarok to be offered to India]()
Paris Air Show 2025: Aarok to be offered to India
Turgis Gaillard and Bharat Forge have signed an MoU to offer the Aarok, produced in India, to the Indian Ministry of Defence. The UAV could satisfy the country’s desire for an indigenous MALE UAV, offering an alternative to the TAPAS BH-201 that has had a rocky development.
-
![Paris Air Show 2025: Poland orders Apache targeting systems and will establish local support facility]()
Paris Air Show 2025: Poland orders Apache targeting systems and will establish local support facility
In 2024, Poland agreed to purchase 96 Boeing AH-64E Apache combat helicopters in a deal worth as much as US$12 billion. The deal included 97 AN/ASQ-170 modernised target acquisition and designation sight/AN/AAR-11 modernised pilot night vision sensors (M-TADS/PNVS).
-
![Paris Air Show 2025: Airbus and France sign framework agreement for VSR-700]()
Paris Air Show 2025: Airbus and France sign framework agreement for VSR-700
The framework agreement is for the future acquisition of the system under the French Navy’s SDAM programme. The agreement also paves the way for cooperation with other nations via government-to-government agreements.
-
![Paris Air Show 2025: Milkor and Hanwha partner to integrate the latter’s SAR payload into the Milkor 380]()
Paris Air Show 2025: Milkor and Hanwha partner to integrate the latter’s SAR payload into the Milkor 380
Hanwha Systems and Milkor announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Paris Air Show to integrate the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system into the Milkor 380 drone.
