Lockheed Martin has finished building fewer than half of the upgraded F-35 Joint Strike Fighters it promised this year. Slow production of key parts is holding up multiple new jets, as they’re waiting for parts to be completed. Production on a handful of key components needed for the TR-3 hardware has ramped up slower than expected.
The TR-3 upgrades are needed for a more expansive upgrade called Block 4, which will improve the F-35′s weapons capacity, target recognition, and electronic warfare, among other features. The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin sought to have TR-3 ready by April 2023, that date has slipped considerably due to persistent software and integration issues.
Lockheed Martin said it has begun in recent months to test the F-35′s next software release to improve its stability, radar, sensor, and weapons capability. The company is also focused on speeding up the delivery of hardware from subcontractors that will be used in TR-3 components. Subcommittee chairman Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., said in the hearing that while the F-35 is a “technological marvel,” its repeated delays in fielding capabilities are disturbing.
The slow component production is only affecting new jets right now, as the F-35 program hasn’t started working on retrofitting older jets. But if the production issues aren’t ironed out, that could lead to more problems.
