Lockheed Clears 72-Jet Backlog of F-35s Parked Over Late Software Improvements

Lockheed Clears 72-Jet Backlog of F-35s Parked Over Late Software Improvements

Lockheed Martin Corp. has delivered F-35 jets parked at its Forth Worth, Texas plant to the US government as of May 1 after several months of delay due to late software improvements, according to the Pentagon’s program office.

Lockheed delivers 72 F-35s after TR-3 delays: Bloomberg

Lockheed Martin has delivered 72 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to the US government as of May 1, 2025.  This delivery follows several months of delays associated with the implementation of Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3), according to a report by Bloomberg, which cited the Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO).  The TR-3 upgrade, a critical modernization step for the fifth-generation fighter, introduces a new core processor, enhanced displays,…

Lockheed Martin delivers 72 F-35 fighters to U.S. amid ongoing TR-3 upgrade delays

The U.S. Department of Defense has been withholding $5 million per aircraft since last year due to these delays. However, this figure was reduced by approximately $1.2 million per plane in January after Lockheed Martin showed signs of progress with the TR-3 upgrade, according to the report. Despite this reduction, funding will continue to be withheld for newly produced jets, with the majority of funds still pending. The Pentagon’s programme offi…