Lockheed Martin has launched one of the most ambitious upgrade programs in modern airpower, aiming to turn the F-35 from a standard fifth‑generation fighter into what executives now call a “fifth‑generation‑plus” jet. The plan centers on Technology Refresh 3 (TR‑3) and a deeper Block 4 upgrade that together are meant to keep the aircraft competitive long after new designs arrive. If this approach works, the F‑35 could stay ahead of rival fighters for decades without the United States and its allies having to buy a completely new fleet.
Rather than focusing on visible hardware changes, the effort is rebuilding the jet’s digital core so it can absorb technology developed for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. The changes include faster computers, new sensors, and new ways of presenting information to pilots, all inside an airframe that first flew years ago. In effect, the program is a live test of whether software, processing power, and smart upgrades can keep a “35‑series” jet tactically young while its basic shape and engine remain the same.
TR-3: the new brain of the F-35
Technology Refresh 3 is the new brain of the F‑35. Program documents describe TR‑3 as a combined hardware and software refresh for the jet’s mission systems, replacing the core computers and adding more memory so the aircraft can run more demanding code. Analysts note that the TR‑3 package sharply increases processing capacity and improves the pilot’s display and controls, making the cockpit feel more responsive without changing its basic layout.
Lockheed Martin’s own description is even bolder. Company material cited in a Defense News report says the new architecture can make some systems up to 25 times faster than before. That speed matters because modern air combat is less about tight turns and more about who can fuse radar, infrared, electronic, and shared network data into a firing solution first. TR‑3 is therefore the most radical change not because it adds a new missile, but because it rewires how the jet collects, processes, and shares information.
Block 4: turning processing power into firepower
TR‑3 is the foundation for a broader push called Block 4. Program officials describe Block 4 as a long‑term hardware and software effort that will expand the F‑35’s sensors and weapons. Defense News reporting explains that the Block 4 plan is to use the new computing power to add more types of missiles and bombs and to improve how far and how clearly the jet can see across the electromagnetic spectrum.
These improvements are not optional extras; they depend directly on TR‑3. Without the new processors and memory, the jet could not host the extra code and sensor data that Block 4 needs. Reporting on recent production lots notes that the TR‑3 upgrade was to support the grouped Block 4 enhancements, tying the refresh directly to future combat punch. In simple terms, TR‑3 gives the F‑35 a bigger “brain,” and Block 4 teaches that brain new skills and tactics.
Borrowing sixth‑gen ideas from NGAD
What makes this more than a routine midlife update is where the new ideas come from. Lockheed Martin has started engineering work on how to add sixth‑generation features, developed under the NGAD program, into both the F‑35 and the F‑22. According to an engineering analysis, the company is studying which NGAD concepts can be retrofitted into existing jets at about half the cost of building entirely new aircraft, including advanced sensors, networking tools, and electronic warfare systems.
James Taiclet, Lockheed Martin’s chief executive, has described the goal as a “fifth‑generation‑plus” F‑35, echoing how the F‑15EX is often called a fourth‑generation‑plus jet. In his remarks, cited by Defense News, Taiclet said the company wants to pull sixth‑generation features into the F‑35 so its internal systems and combat style move closer to NGAD‑level capability. The push underscores how generational labels are blurring: software, sensors, and data links now define a jet’s “generation” as much as its shape or engine power.
The ‘Ferrari’ F‑35 and YF‑23 DNA
One eye‑catching nickname for the upgraded jet is the “Ferrari” F‑35, meant to suggest a high‑performance variant built on a proven base model. An analysis in 19FortyFive argues that a fully realized Ferrari could keep advanced F‑35 variants flying into the 2070s. If that projection holds, the F‑35 could become a long‑term fixture of Western airpower in the same way the B‑52 has remained a core bomber for generations.
Some design ideas linked to this Ferrari theme even reach back to the YF‑23, the stealth fighter that lost to the F‑22 in the 1990s. Planning material described by Sandboxx says one concept for an upgraded F‑35 borrows from the earlier YF‑23 design and would improve stealth, raise supersonic performance, and boost onboard fuel by 38%. This would increase internal fuel capacity from about 18,000 pounds to roughly 24,840 pounds, a gain of 6,840 pounds that could extend range or time on station without external tanks.
Record deliveries, key figures, and the radar problem
These upgrades are rolling out while production climbs. Simple Flying reports that Lockheed Martin recently delivered a record of 156 F‑35s in a single year, bringing the global fleet to well over 900 aircraft. Within that total, the U.S. Air Force has received hundreds of F‑35As, while partners and foreign military sales customers share the rest across the B and C variants. As the fleet grows, upgrade timing becomes more complex, because each new block of jets may carry different hardware and software than the ones that came before.
Radar integration is one of the sharpest examples of this tension. Reporting in The War Zone notes that some F‑35s have been accepted by the U.S. Air Force without their active electronically scanned array radars fully installed, because the Block 4 radar and related TR‑3 software are still being integrated. In the short term, this lets production continue and keeps unit costs down, but it also risks creating a two‑tier fleet in which some jets are fully combat‑ready while others function mainly as trainers until their sensors catch up.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
