The United States has resumed making deliveries of F-35 jet fighters with an interim upgrade after a months-long pause because of software delays, according to U.S. military officials.
Lockheed Martin and key suppliers have been upgrading the jets under the TR-3 program, which aims to improve displays and processing power.
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall told reporters at a briefing in March that the delay was having an operational effect on the Air Force.
Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, the JPO program’s executive officer, said in a July 19 statement that the deliveries of the jet fighters have begun—and that they'll take part in stages.
“We have initiated a phased approach to the delivery of TR-3 F-35 aircraft,” he said, adding that the first stage will involve the delivery of jets with an initial training capability in July and August.
“By the end of August, we will be delivering jets with a robust combat training capability, as we continue towards the delivery of full TR-3 combat capabilities in 2025,” Lt. Gen. Schmidt said. “Our focus has been on providing our customers with aircraft that are stable, capable, and maintainable, and this phased approach does that.”
The newly delivered aircraft will follow standard government acceptance protocols, which include final check-out flights and airworthiness certifications.
“We weren’t expecting to receive more jets until the end of the year, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect,” Col. Christopher Germann, 187th Fighter Wing deputy commander at Dannelly Field, said in a statement.
Col. Germann said that the delivery means increased flying hours for pilots and hands-on experience for maintenance personnel.
“With the additional aircraft, we can provide the maximum amount of training to continue to be proficient and effective with these jets,” he said.
Lt. Gen. Schmidt said that “much work” remains to finalize the TR-3 configured F-35s, calling the initial delivery an “important first step.”
Bridget Lauderdale, vice president and general manager of the F-35 program at Lockheed Martin, called the TR-3 a “critical evolution” in terms of the combat capability of the jet fighters.
“These and further software updates over the life of the program will ensure the F-35 continues to be an effective deterrent and the cornerstone of joint all-domain operations now and decades into the future,” she said in a statement.
Andrew Hunter, assistant Air Force secretary for acquisition, technology, and logistics, said that the decision to restart deliveries without the full software upgrade was taken in part to prevent knock-on delays to other features.
Mr. Hunter confirmed that the Pentagon would withhold some final payments for each jet, but didn’t specify the amount.
About $7 million of the final payment for each jet, worth roughly $100 million each, has been withheld to date.
