F-35 TR-3 Upgrade Unusable in 2024; Only 3 of 9 Cyber Tests Completed
The Pentagon testing office found the F-35’s Technology Refresh-3 software upgrade was unusable most of 2024 due to stability failures, missing features and defects, providing no new operational functionality. The upgrade, boosting processing 37-fold and memory 20-fold, saw cybersecurity assessments drop to three of nine tests.
1. Pentagon Report Exposes TR-3 Failures
The Pentagon testing office found that the F-35’s Technology Refresh-3 software upgrade was largely unusable in 2024 due to persistent stability failures, missing features and newly discovered defects, resulting in no new operational functionality delivered to the fleet.
2. TR-3 Upgrade Capabilities and Delays
TR-3 was developed to increase the jet’s computing capacity by 37 times and expand its memory by 20 times, enabling advanced weapons integration, targeting enhancements and improved data sharing, but development setbacks have forced operational aircraft to continue running the older TR-2 software.
3. Cybersecurity Review Gaps
Cybersecurity assessments also lagged, with only three of nine planned vulnerability tests completed last year, raising concerns over the program’s ability to secure the F-35’s 20 million lines of code against potential threats.