A developmental test team from the US Air Force has conducted the first flight of an F-35 in the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) configuration at Edwards Air Force Base.

The 50-minute flight, which took the jet to 35,000 feet at speeds just shy of the speed of sound above the Mojave Desert, marked the start of an extensive flight test campaign.

Developmental and operational test flights will continue through 2023 to ensure safety and prove warfighting capabilities.

TR-3 provides the computational horsepower to support modernised Block 4 capabilities for the F-35 including: new sensor suites, more long-range precision weapons, improved electronic warfare features, more powerful data fusion, and increased cross-platform interoperability.

These capabilities provide the fighter jet a combat-edge to identify, track, engage, and survive against advanced air, ground, and cyber threats. TR-3 significantly updates core processing power and memory capacity, which will allow the F-35 to run advanced software packed with state-of-the-art warfighting capabilities.

“This is a significant achievement for the F-35 programme, said Lt Gen Mike Schmidt, F-35 Joint Program Office programme executive officer. “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.”

"The F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards AFB is proud to have executed yet another first-flight within the F-35 programme,” said Lt Col Christopher Campbell, 461st FTS commander and F-35 Integrated Test Force director. “Technology Refresh 3 modernises the computational core of the F-35 air vehicle. Therefore, new TR-3 hardware and software affect nearly every aircraft feature. 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."

“Today’s first flight is an important step in enabling future capabilities to ensure F-35 remains unrivalled around the globe. We look forward to continued collaboration with the JPO and industry partners to deliver TR-3,” said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager, F-35 Programme. “Our mission is to provide our U.S. service members and allies with an aircraft that will guarantee 21st century security so they can deter and defeat threats and come home safely.”

The TR-3 programme has overcome technical complexity challenges with hardware and software and is now on-track to deliver capability to the US and its allies starting in 2023.

The government and industry team continue to find innovative ways to ensure delivery of critical capabilities to defeat future threats. Lessons learned in the execution of the TR-3 programme will be applied across the entire Block 4 modernization programme.

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