Lockheed Martin F-35 deliveries at risk as TR-3 testing delays cause setbacks
Lockheed Martin will miss the number of F-35 deliveries it expected to complete in 2023. (Photo: US DoD)
Newly produced F-35 fighter jets could be stored while awaiting the completion of a critical avionics upgrade validation by the Pentagon.
A significant number of Lockheed Martin F-35s might be transferred directly from the assembly line to long-term storage in Texas in the coming months due to delays in testing the Tech Refresh 3 (TR-3) upgrade, the Joint Program Office (JPO) has said.
The US DoD will not accept the fifth-generation fighter equipped with the latest avionics upgrade until ongoing testing for the system is completed.
‘Starting later this summer, F-35 aircraft coming off the production line with TR-3 hardware will not be accepted until relevant combat capability is validated in accordance with our users’ expectations,’ JPO spokesman Russ Goemaere was
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
![Boeing prepared to go fast on CxR uncrewed tiltrotor concept]()
Boeing prepared to go fast on CxR uncrewed tiltrotor concept
The Collaborative Transformational Rotorcraft is designed with the potential to meet a range of mission requirements, from reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition to contested logistics.
-
![Anduril’s YFQ-44A successfully completes first flight test]()
Anduril’s YFQ-44A successfully completes first flight test
The drone is the second prototype to take flight under the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme.
-
![Italy moves to procure third batch of 29 AW249 helicopters]()
Italy moves to procure third batch of 29 AW249 helicopters
The €1.22 billion (US$1.41 billion) follow-on order for the additional helicopters will complement the 19 AW249 already ordered by Italy.
-
![October Drone Digest: Growing desire for CCAs and new VTOL technology unveiled]()
October Drone Digest: Growing desire for CCAs and new VTOL technology unveiled
During October 2025, several countries and organisations signalled their intention to acquire loyal wingman uncrewed aircraft systems — designated by the US Air Force as Collaborative Combat Aircraft — or to study the capability further, while various new uncrewed helicopters were showcased.
