In a significant move reflecting growing frustration among lawmakers, a proposed House policy bill seeks to reduce the number of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters the Pentagon would purchase in fiscal year 2025. The move comes as concerns mount over persistent delays and technical challenges surrounding the program’s latest technology upgrades.

The Pentagon’s initial FY25 budget request included plans for acquiring 68 of the fifth-generation fighter jets—42 F-35As for the Air Force and 13 each of F-35Bs and F-35Cs for the Navy and Marine Corps.

However, the chairman’s mark of the House Armed Services Committee’s proposed FY25 National Defense Authorization Act indicates an intention to curtail this purchase to 58 jets. Even more notably, the bill stipulates that the Pentagon is barred from accepting delivery of 10 of those aircraft until the defense secretary certifies that several issues with the F-35 have been resolved.

As it stands, the Pentagon would only receive 48 F-35s initially next year. Expressing discontent, a senior staff member for the committee’s Republican majority remarked, “Over the last couple of years, our members have grown frustrated with the F-35 program. This year, we are struggling with accepting airplanes from Lockheed Martin when they come off the line. So our members wanted to address that because if you have an aircraft come off [the production line and] we’re not accepting delivery, what’s the point? They’re just paperweights at that point.”

Lockheed Martin responded, stating, “We look forward to working with the administration and the Congress as the president’s fiscal year 2025 budget receives full consideration in the months ahead.”

The core of the issue revolves around the troubled Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) upgrades, a set of software and hardware enhancements that promise improved displays, computer memory, and processing power.

These upgrades are critical for the forthcoming Block 4 series of enhancements, which are projected to expand the jet’s weapon-carrying capacity and electronic warfare capabilities.

Unfortunately, TR-3 has been plagued with software hitches and production delays for key components, placing it more than a year overdue. The most recent forecasts suggest deliveries may not resume until the third quarter of 2024, and even then, the jets won’t be combat-ready until 2025.

Acknowledging the program’s importance, another senior staffer for the committee’s Democrats conceded, “The Pentagon sorely needs the jet.” However, he emphasized that the TR-3 issues must be resolved for the Block 4 upgrades to proceed.

By cutting the initial order of 10 F-35s, republican staffer believe they can save approximately $1 billion, which could be redirected back into the program to ensure proper functionality upon delivery. The Republican staffer specified that it would be more prudent to “buy fewer jets to ensure the ones that are delivered work properly and aren’t left sitting in Fort Worth.”

The reduction also serves as an impetus for the Pentagon to provide plans to rectify the aircraft’s issues and push for acquisition strategies that would amend the broader problems identified within the F-35 program. The F-35’s initial operational test and evaluation phase have yielded several recommendations for improvement that should guide the path forward.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin officials reported that deliveries of full-up TR-3 equipped F-35s, which were originally expected in mid-year, now won’t happen until 2025. In the interim, they hope to release a “truncated” version of the hardware/software package by fall.

The Joint Program Office has been in discussions to release a “truncated” TR-3 package to resume deliveries and avert further disruptions for the various nations awaiting their F-35s. Delays have resulted from supply chain issues with TR-3 components and ongoing configuration testing.

As Jim Taiclet, Lockheed Martin’s CEO, explained, “We are wringing out all of the software through all of the new hardware and integrating it into all the aircraft,” which has taken longer than predicted.

Lockheed’s CFO, Jay Malave, acknowledged that extending TR-3 into two releases aims to keep production on track in 2024 by reducing the number of aircraft in storage. This extension could, however, impact profitability on future lots given that the timing of deliveries affects progress payments and incentive fees.

Relevant articles:
– House lawmakers aim to cut F-35 buy as patience with delays wears thin, Defense News
– F-35 Tech Upgrade Slips to 2025; ‘Truncated’ Version in the Fall, Air & Space Forces Magazine
– 3 jets early without full capability, Breaking Defense