Upgraded F-35s fly with partial software as DOD hunts for delivery fix
By Stephen Losey
Nov 21, 03:36 PM
15, 2023. The first production F-35 with an early version of the Technology Refresh 3 software flew at Lockheed Martin's factory in Fort Worth, Texas, last week. (Staff Sgt. Kaitlyn Ergish/Air Force)
WASHINGTON — The first production F-35 Joint Strike Fighter with an early, incomplete version of the software powering a key upgrade was flown last week at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility, the company told Defense News.
The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office is considering whether a strategy of loading interim versions of the Technology Refresh 3 software into the latest F-35s might provide a way to end a months-long delivery halt, and allow the government to start accepting the latest versions of the fighter.
Technology Refresh 3, or TR-3, is the name for a batch of hardware and software upgrades to the newest F-35s, and include better displays, computer memory and processing power. The TR-3 upgrades are necessary to pave the way for a more expansive modernization, known as Block 4, which will allow the F-35 to carry more long-range precision weapons and improve its electronic warfare capabilities and target recognition.
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/11/21/upgraded-f-35s-fly-with-partial-software-as-dod-hunts-for-delivery-fix/
