Lockheed Martin began delivering F-35s again on July 19, after a year of building the fighters and putting them directly into storage because their Tech Refresh 3 systems and software were not fully tested. Lockheed Martin can now receive progress payments for the jets, some 90-100 of which accumulated during the delivery hold.
Two F-35As were delivered, both to the Air Force: one to Dannelly Field, Ala., where it will serve with the 187th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard, and one to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. An Air Force spokesperson said the two locations were next line to receive F-35s when deliveries were halted. The service was not prepared to make further comment.
The deliveries will take place using a “phased” approach, the F-35 Joint Program Office said.
Lt. Gen. Michael J. Schmidt, program executive officer for the F-35 JPO, determined in the last few weeks that operational units could safely fly with a “truncated” version of the TR-3 software, after it demonstrated sufficient stability in flight tests. F-35 partners and users had already green-lighted the plan to accept a “truncated” version of the TR-3 in order to get deliveries moving. The long delivery hold had disrupted absorption and equipage plans among users, who could not efficiently train new pilots and maintainers of the fighter.
“We have initiated a phased approach to the delivery of TR-3 F-35 aircraft,” Schmidt said in a press statement. “The first phase will deliver jets with an initial training capability in July and August. By the end of August, we will be delivering jets with a robust combat training capability, as we continue towards the delivery of full TR-3 combat capabilities in 2025.”
Lockheed Martin told Air & Space Forces Magazine it will now deliver new F-35s “as they come off the line, per our standard procedure, while also preparing and delivering the jets previously awaiting delivery to an ensure an efficient backlog recovery and unwind.” A spokesperson said the jets that have been awaiting delivery “have been maintained to ensure efficient delivery procedures are able to occur as quickly as possible. The jets are being updated with the latest software release prior to DD250,” which is the process/document that goes with delivery of a new aircraft.
Lockheed also said U.S. jets will be delivered first, as they go through an “airworthiness process.” International users will receive deliveries later, “as the unwind progresses.”
Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed’s vice president and F-35 general manager, said the “TR-3 and Block 4 represent a critical evolution in capability and their full development remains a top priority for us. …[These] and further software updates over the life of the program will ensure the F-35 continues to be an effective deterrent and the cornerstone of joint all-domain operations now and decades into the future.”
Schmidt said the JPO’s focus “has been on providing our customers with aircraft that are stable, capable, and maintainable, and this phased approach does that.”
Although “much work remains,” Schmidt thanked the government and industry team for the work it has put into delivering the TR-3-configured jets.
“This is an important first step,” he said. “I am confident our team will work tirelessly to achieve the desired and necessary results that our warfighters, allies and customers require,” he added.
“We weren’t expecting to receive more jets until the end of the year, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect,” 187th Fighter Wing deputy commander Col. Chistopher Germann said in an Air Force press release. “With the additional aircraft, we can provide the maximum amount of training to continue to be proficient and effective with these jets.” The delivery means “increased flying hours for our pilots and hands-on experience for our maintainers.”
Neither Lockheed nor the Pentagon have been willing to say how many jets have been stored or where, saying it’s a security risk to do so.
Two major support facilities for the F-35 will be completed at Dannelly over the next few months; a supply building and a simulator facility, the wing said in a press release.