The TR-3 upgrade, which is much more than a mere software/hardware upgrade, is now running years behind schedule—but speculation is mounting that it could arrive soon.
The United States Air Force began flight testing of a Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, running the “Technology Refresh 3” (TR-3) configuration, in early 2024. Progress has been slow going so far, but rumors abound that it could move into “supercruise” imminently.
Earlier this month, the Air Force’s 461st Flight Test Squadron, part of the F-35 Integrated Test Force, received a significantly upgraded F-35 Lightning II that will further enhance engineering and test work at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California.
“This new aircraft arrives at a crucial time, supporting intensive testing of TR-3 software upgrades and next-generation weapons integration,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Prudhomme, the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) program. “As the world’s only F-35A capable of evaluating both mission systems and flight sciences, this new asset is key for rapidly fielding advanced capabilities to the warfighter.”
The 412 Test Wing is the US Air Force’s primary test and evaluation unit, conducting, analyzing, and reporting on all of the service’s flight and ground testing of aircraft and other weapons systems, including software and hardware components.
Is the F-35’s TR-3 Upgrade Finally Combat Ready?
The TR-3 upgrade, which is much more than a mere software/hardware upgrade, is now running years behind schedule. However, in June, Lockheed Martin announced it was nearing completion.
It is unclear if the F-35 ITF’s Lightning II has the final TR-3 installed or at least a less “truncated” version than what was released last year to allow deliveries of the fifth-generation stealth fighter to resume after the Pentagon paused acceptance of the aircraft, which lasted more than a year.
The delays have been due to the complexity of the software. According to the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), the 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.”
The JPO added that the capabilities “provide the warfighter a combat-edge to identify, track, engage, and survive against advanced air, ground, and cyber threats.” As noted, the new upgrade is not simply a software patch or new piece of plug-and-play hardware. Instead, it promises to “significantly update core processing power and memory capacity” of the Lightning II, making it a far more capable aircraft.
The TR-3 Program Has Already Been Cut Short Once
Lockheed Martin began development of TR-3 in 2021, with the initial goal of completing it by April 2023. However, the aerospace firm faced unexpected delays with the software, and the first test flight of an F-35 equipped with the enhanced suite wasn’t conducted until January 2023. Due to the delays, in July of that same year, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) halted acceptance of Lightning IIs until the upgrade was completed.
Finally, in July 2024, Lockheed Martin released a truncated version of the upgrade, allowing deliveries of the fifth-generation fighter to resume, with plans to finalize the installation at a later date.
The incomplete TR-3 was not combat-certificated, and the delivered F-35s have been relegated to training so far. It was only at the Paris Air Show this past June that the aerospace giant confirmed that work had finally been completed, and that it was awaiting final signoff from the Pentagon.
The arrival of a test aircraft at Edwards AFB this month may be a sign that that sign-off is coming.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-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. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / Victor Maschek.
