On January 6th, a developmental test team from the U.S. 461st Flight Test Squadron conducted the inaugural flight of an F-35 aircraft in the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) configuration at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The TR-3 configuration provides the necessary computational capability to support advanced Block 4 features for the F-35, including updated sensor suites, expanded capabilities for long-range precision weapons, enhanced electronic warfare features, advanced data fusion, and increased interoperability with other platforms.
These features will provide pilots with a significant advantage in identifying, tracking, engaging, and surviving against advanced air, ground, and cyber threats.
“This is a significant achievement for the F-35 program”, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, program executive officer, F-35 Joint Program Office.
“TR-3 is the F-35’s critical computer processing electronics upgrade that will continue to provide all our pilots with the capability they need to be successful against any adversary. There is still a lot of work to do and I am confident that our industry partners and government team will get the job done.”
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The TR-3 program has successfully addressed technical challenges related to hardware and software, and is on track to deliver these capabilities to the United States and its allies starting in 2023.
The government and industry team say here that they continue to work collaboratively to find innovative solutions to ensure the delivery of critical capabilities to counter future threats. Lessons learned from the TR-3 program will be applied across the entire Block 4 modernisation program.