After months of accumulated delays—and according to local media reports following inquiries made to the Joint Program Office (JPO)—Lockheed Martin, through its Forth Worth, Texas facility, has delivered a total of 72 new F-35 stealth fighters to the U.S. Armed Forces over the course of 2025. Although it was not officially specified whether all of these fifth-generation aircraft are equipped with the problematic Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) upgrade—one of the main causes of the delays—it is presumed that at least a substantial portion was delivered with this configuration.
It is worth noting that the delay in the delivery of new combat aircraft centered on issues related to the implementation of the TR-3 update, a package that introduces significant improvements to the F-35’s hardware and software, such as increased processing power, enhanced sensors, and an open architecture allowing for future capability upgrades. Since this update is required for full certification of the new aircraft for high-intensity combat operations, its effective implementation became a critical condition for the Pentagon.
During the 2023–2024 period, significant delays were accumulated due to the flight testing campaign of aircraft equipped with the new configuration. By September 2024, at least 80 proposed enhancements remained pending integration, prompting the JPO to formally suspend acceptance of new aircraft until a stable, functional, and secure software configuration for operations was reached.
The breakthrough came in July 2024, when the JPO decided to partially lift the suspension on new F-35 deliveries and approved a truncated version of the TR-3 software. This reduced variant—although still limited—was deemed suitable for initial training tasks and enabled the gradual introduction of aircraft with this configuration. From that point, Lockheed Martin delivered the first two TR-3-standard F-35s in July, followed by another batch in August, and ultimately completed the year with at least 22 more delivered from December onward. This brought the total number of F-35s delivered in 2024 to 110 units, primarily allocated for training and technical validation.
The 72 new fighters delivered so far in 2025 thus represent another step toward normalizing the program’s logistical flow, now featuring aircraft that—while still subject to progressive updates—are already operational with the new architecture and cleared for full integration into the operational units of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.
In parallel with the delays in TR-3 software validation, the U.S. Department of Defense implemented a financial pressure strategy on the prime contractor. Since mid-2023, the government began withholding up to USD 5 million per aircraft delivered by Lockheed Martin, conditioning final payments on proof that the new fighters could operate under real-world conditions with the fully functional TR-3 package.
This mechanism was designed not only to encourage progress in the software validation timeline but also to prevent an unnecessary buildup of incomplete aircraft, as occurred during the peak of the delays. In January 2025, following some documented progress, the Pentagon authorized a partial release of approximately USD 1.2 million per aircraft as recognition for meeting certain technical milestones. However, the Joint Program Office (JPO) clarified that most of the funds will remain withheld until 2026, to be gradually released as additional capabilities are certified.
Images used for illustrative purposes only.
You may also like: After completing its operations in the Middle East, the strike group of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson returns to the United States
