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.
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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.
Of course Block 4 will happen on F-35B, if you think the US Marine Corps isn’t going to get Block 4 your an idiot. We have several roughly 8-12 airframes from Lot 17 with TR3. Block 4 is more than just the AN/APG-85 radar, its a new cockpit screen, new EOTS sensor, integration of EOTS and DAS sensor/data fusion. Improvements to the EW suite in terms of equipment and software. Increased computing power, improvements to the CNI Architecture. Power improvements to increase thermal management from 22 Kw to >50Kw. We might not get AN/APG-85 as an upgrade as it means we’d have to change the bulk head adapters and each radar costs an extra $12 million dollars per airframe, but no European airframe has been delivered with the AN/APG-85 bulkhead since lot 17. We have to upgrade our airframes solely because you cannot have a fleet within a fleet, we’d risk being in the same situation as our Apache Ah.1’s situation. The power management issue alone would mean it would be more expensive not doing Block 4 having engines off airframes because we don’t upgrade to Block 4. On top of this Block 4 we’d not get Meteor or Spear 3 or EW. Did you not read this article? The main reason UK weapons haven’t been integrated is because at least once we have deferred payment to do the integration, it cost money $77 million dollars as the article mentions not USA blocking anything. Yep suggest you unhear what you’ve heard
When? And why hadn’t Meteor been integrated?
When?
And why hasn’t Meteor been integrated?
Because we deferred payment circa $100 million dollars, we was the only nation to wanted Meteor on the F-35 for Block 3. As such we had a bucket load of AMRAAMs to put on for free. Now Italy want Meteor on there F-35s, problem being Block 3 integration has passed. Block 4 program of record was finalised and again we procrastinated as such we are at the back of the queue. Reason Meteor for the UK is back on is because of long range missiles like the PL15/17 we need to push those fighters as far back as possible from the QE Class.
I don’t agree with your view! However you neglected to answer when Block 4 will be completed on F35B
You didn’t ask when Block 4 will be completed on the F-35B. Your question was “When? And why hasn’t Meteor been integrated?”. Seeing as we have not forked out for the integration costs for Meteor and Spear 3, that can be probably moved up the integration chain for new weapons. But I suspect the USA has already funded there weapons to be integrated and as such we are probably at the back of the queue, unless our Test Aircraft can be used for weapons integration seeing as we are the only other nation with test aircraft. But seeing as we probably haven’t upgraded these to TR3 standard that’s doubtful. Block 4 is huge 60+ upgrades that include TR-3, we are not getting AN/APG-85 as this hasn’t been released to FMS sales, I’d imagine Block 4 will be finished for all versions of aircraft with the PTMS upgrade for heat/power management (2033). We don’t need the full 80Kw cooling because we won’t get APG-85 but it does need upgrading higher than the existing 32Kw because it’s currently running high and other TR-3 equipment pushes it above this level (EOTs, EW and Computing Increases upgrades). There is a plan to incrementally increase cooling but this hasn’t been signed off yet by the JPO. There’s a software tweak to bring cooling to 40Kw in 2029 then the hardware insertion in 2033, the hardware is the most challenging as a complete redesign of the cooling loops is needed. Which includes the fuel system.
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.
And you think GCAP is going to be without delays? If the largest military aerospace contractor had issues with F-35 integrating complex EW/ESM/ECCM/engine power management/software that ran into 10 of millions lines of code and you think GCAP is going to be plain sailing? Pmsl this is a company that delivered the most capable 5th generation Air Dominance fighter and you think BAE/Leonardo/Mitsubishi is going to be plain sailing 🤣
If US want any weapons integrated on GCAP – they pat Full burdened cost and all incidental costs; and only after all European weapons have been integrated cost
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?
Transfer all RAF F-35 to RN, buy more Eurofighters?
Are you insane?
The F35 has become a liability.
Expensive, costly to maintain, low range, bottle necks in the maintenance system everywhere, commercial forces putting UK at risk.
Very disappointed, I had great hope for this programme just the old JSF days.
Spot on
Even in Block 3F form there is no comparison. Yes it’s expensive to maintain but it out performs any legacy plane and definitely out performs the Harrier in every metric Range, Height, Speed, Payload. There was a quote by Senator Kelly last week that he’d flown against the F-35 in an F-16 and he could see it but the Radar couldn’t even pick it up, that’s in the WVR imagine a few more miles out in BVR territory with Meteor it’s no escape zone is going to be insane crazy! The AN/APG-81 radar is no slouch, even with it not being GaN technology and less TR/RX modules than the APG-85, it’s currently the best radar in the the UK inventory, with a flight of 4 and data linked it’s even better than Wedgetail in sharing track data, imagine a squadron of 10 planes! We are struggling to get ECRS2 onto our Typhoons now, this is 20 year old technology (F-35 APG-81)! Getting ECRS2 with upgraded cockpit is costing us £50 million per plane, and that’s with software for new data fusion but not to the level of F-35B, no wideband datalink (MADL). New stealth fuel tanks are soon to be on F-22, eventually these will be on the F-35 I’m sure. Your having a go at the range but ultimately the thinking was European theatre 650 miles range was the norm, Harrier without tanks was 250 miles. Yes its also got lumbered with replacing Tornado so is 200 miles less in legs but this wasn’t a design consideration at the time of JSF. Everyone is moaning about Block 4 but what it will achieve is 80% of 6th Gen at 50% of the price. Typhoon is 20% more expensive than F-15EX so what is Tempest going to be? F-47 is forecasted in at $350 million a unit!
Alternatively LM could give out free F35 and we just keep paying and waiting for upgrades
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Oh no some thing else with no time line, we are looking at, interested in, might do, not sure whaen, same thing every day with this lot. Skint nation can not afforod the pay for defence my guess Stamer will duck the DIP and leave making it some one elses problem after doing NOTHING for a year. Where is all the money? Last two years the MOD has hardly ordered any thing yet is skint,
If Mr Barnham gets in maybe he can clear out any “blockers” in cabinet and get new people and new energy in. Get this DIP published ready or not. Can finalise more later as its a rolling document anyway.
Um you seem to think Burham a hard leftie will keep his word on defence, he says what ever he thinks people want to hear. If he becomes PM then we will see the real him and lets hope he is a stronge leader who tells other to do as he says.
Martin,
Impressive prediction re PM Starmer’s resignation. Multiple sources indicate formal announcement on Monday. Questions: How will DIP be affected, including release date? Will Defence Secretary remain the same in new HMG? Will change be positive, neutral, or negative from MoD perspective? Musings of a Yank … 🤔
He may resign, to be fair he should call an election, if he goes then the DIP will either be delayed or be released i think with more funding. The defence is a good choice I hope he remains but new leader new ministers.
The new PM is a stronger leader so if he keeps his word on defence it will be a positive change, but he has a habit of saying things to get in then not doing them, Mrs Reeves will be out of a job thats much will be true,