The Ministry of Defence has not yet finalised the timeline for upgrading the United Kingdom’s remaining F-35B aircraft to the Technology Refresh 3 standard, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The position was set out by the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard, in response to a written question from the Conservative MP for Huntingdon, Ben Obese-Jecty, who had asked, following an earlier answer, what the timeline was for the upgrade of the remaining TR-3 refresh.
Pollard’s reply was brief, stating only that the timeline for the remaining upgrades of the United Kingdom’s F-35B aircraft to Technology Refresh 3 standard had yet to be finalised.
“The timeline for the remaining upgrades of the United Kingdom’s F-35B aircraft to Technology Refresh 3 standard has yet to be finalised.”
Technology Refresh 3, known as TR-3, is a package of new hardware and software, including a far more powerful integrated core processor, that acts as the computing foundation for the F-35’s future Block 4 upgrade, the much larger effort to expand the jet’s weapons, sensors and electronic warfare capabilities. According to Defence Industry Europe, the refresh introduces around 75 hardware and software improvements, with a new processor offering many times the computing power of its predecessor.
The programme has been heavily delayed. According to Aerospace Global News, problems with the stability of the TR-3 software led the US Joint Program Office to withhold payments and refuse delivery of TR-3-equipped aircraft from 2023, before a truncated, training-only software version allowed deliveries to resume in mid-2024. A US operational test report published in early 2026 does not expect full capability until 2031, according to Simple Flying, while Defense News reports that Lockheed Martin now expects the associated Block 4 modernisation to run until 2032 at the latest, with the wider effort billions of dollars over budget.
For the United Kingdom, the upgrade matters because the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force operate the F-35B, the short take-off and vertical landing variant flown from the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, and work to convert F-35Bs to the new standard has only recently begun, with a US naval facility having completed the TR-3 upgrade on its first F-35B airframes in mid-2026, according to The Aviationist. The minister’s answer means it remains unclear when Britain’s own jets will all be brought up to the standard that unlocks the fleet’s future combat capabilities.
Of course they haven’t. Delay is the government’s standard response to anything relating to the military. Need 3.5% before the end of this parliament! Not many things I agree with Trump on, but this is probably the biggest one.
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Luke Pollard makes my teeth grate.
Buy a new set?
Ha ha.
Here is the rub: new high-tech equipment needs almost constant upgrades, and that needs to be dialled into any military purchase. The F-35 is not immune to this fact, and I’m sure it is part of the reluctance to announce an increase in the number of airframes beyond the F-35A. Tempest will face the same demands thus the expected modest UK fleet projections. As they say, it’s what you can’t see that costs the most.
Word is Block 4 will not happen on F35B – If it does it will be so expensive as to be prohibitive. Also of course the US are blocking integration of UK weapons in an act of commercial dominance Only US weapons will be integrated to the platform.
Tim to move on
I agree the F35B has been a disaster and cruelly designed as such from the outset. When Trump criticizes our jets someone should tell him its his jets that are the problem. He also needs reminding about his own wonderful carrier the USS Gerald Ford. Why doesnt anyone do this in a humerous manner. Push back needs to be regular or you get walked all over if your lucky and groped if your not.
Let’s hope Gcap uses UK weapons from Day 1 and any upgrades are a lot easier and cheaper than F35b . I would order 6 more F35bs only scrap the F35A nonsense and tell the US that’s it. The delay on weapons and software upgrades is the reasons for us capping the order at that level.
Meant to say criticizes our carriers.
What are the short term options then? Buy more planes and US munitions, convert carriers and go with French Rafales, go fully autonomous and or resurrect a UK Harrier type 2?