The upgraded fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets could face major delays due to an unrealistic degree of parallelism, lack of testing resources and manpower constraints

Lockheed Martin said last week that deliveries of the F-35 with the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) package will not resume until the second quarter of 2024. But that's not the only problem with the fifth-generation fighters.

Here's What We Know

The F-35 Lightning II could face major delays for three reasons. Firstly, the US Air Force is experiencing a labour shortage. There is also a shortage of testing resources. In addition, the fifth-generation aircraft suffers from an unrealistically high level of parallelism.

Parallelism refers to a situation where procurement takes place during the development phase. The U.S. Air Force has suffered greatly from this, so now it is trying to do everything possible to prevent this from happening to the B-21 Raider strategic bomber and the sixth-generation fighters.

Deliveries of the F-35 Lightning II have been delayed due to late receipt of equipment, a lag in software development and a late start to flight testing. In addition, few people are working on the project. Air Force Lieutenant General Michael J. Schmidt stated that.

The TR-3 brings a higher-performance processor. It is a critical upgrade before the Block 4 modernisation. It will add about 80 different capabilities, most of which are being kept secret.

Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine