Jane Edwards
The U.S. Air Force flew for the first time a Lockheed Martin-built F-35 fighter aircraft with the Technology Refresh 3 upgrade on Friday, Jan. 6, at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
TR-3 updates the fighter jet’s computational core to support Block 4 capabilities, including new sensors, improved electronic warfare functions, data fusion, long-range precision weapons and cross-platform interoperability, the Air Force said Tuesday.
The service said the capabilities enabled by TR-3 will provide warfighters the ability to detect, track and engage ground, aerial and cyberthreats.
“Today’s event was just the start of a comprehensive flight test campaign that will both verify and improve the safety, stability, and performance of the whole F-35 weapon system in this new configuration,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Campbell, commander of the Air Force’s 461st Flight Test Squadron and director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force.
Bridget Lauderdale, vice president and general manager of the F-35 program at Lockheed, said the company looks forward to continued collaboration with the F-35 joint program office and commercial partners to deliver TR-3 to enable U.S. service personnel and allies to deter and counter threats.
A test pilot took the aircraft to an altitude of 35,000 feet over the Mojave Desert as part of the 50-minute flight. The service will continue to conduct operational and developmental test flights throughout the year to ensure safety and assess the warfighting capabilities of the fighter jet.
