Critical F-35 Technology Refresh 3 delayed - fighter won't get the upgrade in 2023

The F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter will not undergo a Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) upgrade in 2023. The upgrade of the aircraft had to be postponed.

Here's What We Know

The US Department of Defence will not put off upgrading the fighter jet long into the future. This was announced by Lieutenant General Michael Schmidt, executive director of the F-35 programme, during a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing. The joint office of the F-35 programme plans to upgrade the aircraft in April 2024, a one-year delay.

Lockheed Martin, on the other hand, promises to have the TR-3 ready in December 2023. Michael Schmidt does not rule out that the upgrade of fifth-generation fighters could start between those two dates.

The TR-3 is a critical upgrade of the aircraft's computing electronics. It is a necessary step before the Block 4 upgrade, which will bring advanced electronic warfare capabilities to all versions of the fighter - F-35A, F-35B and F-35C.

The TR-3 will improve the aircraft's computing core, including the avionics and processor. Earlier this year, the US Air Force conducted the first test of the F-35 in the new configuration. The tests will continue throughout 2023.

According to Schmidt, the next software update will occur in about a month. This will be a critical update that will "unlock most of the available tactical capabilities" so that the military can conduct more thorough flight tests.

As for the Block 4 upgrade, its many features remain classified. All we know is that the F-35 will get Northrop Grumman's AN/APG-85 radar with an active phased antenna array, a new electro-optical targeting system and will be able to carry StormBreaker smart bombs.

Source: Defence News