Once the TR-3 upgrade package is implemented, the F-35 will pose an even greater threat to adversaries.
Though the US Air Force and Navy’s upcoming Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and F/A-XX fighter programs are progressing, both services have no intention to nix their respective F-35A and F-35C programs anytime soon. In fact, the Lightning II’s latest upgrade is expected to be completed by 2032 at the latest. According to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the delays associated with the upgrade known as the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) will be rectified in the near future. “TR-3 is a new foundation to move forward Block 4 integration that started in 2018 and will continue until 2030 or 2032, so for another five to seven years,” Jim Post, the director of the manufacturer’s F-35 Partner Customer Program, stated at the 2024 DSEI UK exhibition in London. Post added that “Block 4 means the aircraft’s evolution, and TR-3 makes the F-35 as much as 25 times faster. It gives the jet’s systems a much improved memory, and its tactical displays for pilots are capable of implementing all processes at a faster speed.”
Meet the F-35 Lightning II
The F-35 Lightning II platform is synonymous with prowess. From stealth and avionics to versatility and armament-power, the fifth-generation fighter series is widely considered to be the most formidable of its kind flying the skies today. Originating from the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, the F-35 represents the culmination of years of combat aircraft research from the Cold War. Specifically, the fighter encompasses the research of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Advanced Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing (ASTOVL) study.
In 2001, Lockheed Martin’s X-35 prototype was selected as the winner of the JSF program, and Pratt & Whitney was separately awarded the contract for the fighter’s F135 engine. The Joint Strike Fighter program grew rapidly to include a cohort of nine nations, including the UK, Denmark, Canada, Australia, and Turkey. However, Ankara was eventually pulled from the program due to its purchase of the Russian S-400 air-defense system in violation of US policy.
Equipped with the powerful F135 engine, the Lightning II is able to fly at speeds up to Mach 1.6 (times the speed of sound). Combined with the jet’s reduced radar cross-section, the F-35 is difficult for adversaries to detect in the air. Perhaps the F-35’s greatest attribute is its ability to gather, process, and disperse information securely in real-time to allied forces. This type of unparalleled data transmission between JSFs gives the platform an edge over its fifth-generation near-peers.
While in stealth mode, the Lightning II is able to carry an array of ordnance totaling up to 5,700 pounds. While this may seem on the lower side, the fighter is also capable of entering “beast mode” once air superiority is established. While in this armament-heavy position, the Lightning II can handle four times more ordnance than when in “stealth mode.” The Joint Strike Fighter can carry two AMRAAMs, six JDAMs, and two Sidewinders when it is in Beast Mode configuration.
Once the TR-3 upgrade package is implemented in the F-35 series, the fifth-generation platform will pose an even greater threat to adversaries.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image: DVIDS.
