F-35 Lightning II developments

[Starfighter_F-104G]

RCAF - Estimated F-35 delivery schedule
2026 4
2027 6
2028 6
2029 18
2030 18
2031 18
2032 18
TOT 88

[wamovements]

22-5628/AL f/f at Luke 22-11-2023. Two more Al's should be present at Luke AFB

[Starfighter_F-104G]

NAF313 F-35A AN-036 F-036 dep Cameri on d/f 23-11-2023

[tally]

22-5628/AL f/f at Luke 22-11-2023. Two more Al's should be present at Luke AFB

20-5628 I guess. The old Turk AT-29.

[Starfighter_F-104G]

AF-413, 22-5713/ED, 412 TW, 461 FLTS (first flight).

test bird for TR3 & Bk4

[tally]

AF-413, 22-5713/ED, 412 TW, 461 FLTS (first flight).

test bird for TR3 & Bk4

Could be. The TR3 software however may not be ready for another 6 months.

[Starfighter_F-104G]

AF-413, 22-5713/ED, 412 TW, 461 FLTS (first flight).

test bird for TR3 & Bk4

Could be. The TR3 software however may not be ready for another 6 months.

Four production aircraft with flight test instrumentation modifications in support for the TR3 Bk4 (N0001923F0157)
AF413
BF139
CF095
CF110

About TR3 Bk4 delay
22-11-2023
''
The JPO confirmed in an email that it’s looking for a way to resume acceptance flights for the latest F-35s before TR-3 is completely finished.
When asked if this might entail using an interim or early release version of the software, the JPO said “potentially,” and that the software could be updated down the line to complete the TR-3 capabilities.
“The JPO and Lockheed Martin are working with the U.S. services and international customers on potential options to deliver operationally acceptable aircraft that would most likely require future software drops for a subset of capabilities to meet all requirements,” the JPO said.
However, the JPO cautioned that no decision on deliveries of F-35s with an early form of the TR-3 software has yet been made by the services, partners and international customers.
''

''
A Lockheed spokesperson concurred with the JPO’s responses to Defense News, and added in an email that “The first production F-35 with TR-3 software and hardware took flight in Fort Worth last week.”
The spokesperson said last week’s flight was an initial vehicle system checkout flight, which would be the first in a series of acceptance flights for the fighter. Lockheed’s spokesperson said other TR-3-enabled production F-35s have also flown since the first flight, but would not say how many other than “a few.”
The JPO confirmed the flights that began last week were the first for the production TR-3 models, and said these initial flights will allow the final acceptance flight process to move more quickly once the software is approved for operational use.
Test F-35s with TR-3 are also continuing their flight tests at Edwards Air Force Base in California and Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, Lockheed’s spokesperson said.
''

[Bunzing]

If the above is true (and I don't doubt that), what does it say about AN-038/F-038? It made its first flight on Nov 7 from Cameri, well ahead of the first TR3 jet that made its ff "in Fort Worth last week". AN-038 has made several flights since then. Does that mean it is NOT a TR3 jet?

[Robinzon]

If the above is true (and I don't doubt that), what does it say about AN-038/F-038? It made its first flight on Nov 7 from Cameri, well ahead of the first TR3 jet that made its ff "in Fort Worth last week". AN-038 has made several flights since then. Does that mean it is NOT a TR3 jet?

Could well be that F-038 is not a TR3 jet yet. It is the final aircraft for 313 Sqn, keeping all their jets at the same standard. F-039 and F-040 are rumored to be test aircraft for 323 Sqn at Edwards. I assume they will most likely be the first RNlAF TR3 jets. 312 Sqn will then be the first unit with only TR3 jets, starting with F-041.

[Bunzing]

Could well be that F-038 is not a TR3 jet yet. It is the final aircraft for 313 Sqn, keeping all their jets at the same standard. F-039 and F-040 are rumored to be test aircraft for 323 Sqn at Edwards. I assume they will most likely be the first RNlAF TR3 jets. 312 Sqn will then be the first unit with only TR3 jets, starting with F-041.

Could be. On the other hand: F-038 is the first jet of the new contract (of 9 ordered in 2019). And the first of lot 16. So it would make sense if it is indeed the first Dutch TR-3 aircraft.

[roberto]

Could well be that F-038 is not a TR3 jet yet. It is the final aircraft for 313 Sqn, keeping all their jets at the same standard. F-039 and F-040 are rumored to be test aircraft for 323 Sqn at Edwards. I assume they will most likely be the first RNlAF TR3 jets. 312 Sqn will then be the first unit with only TR3 jets, starting with F-041.

Could be. On the other hand: F-038 is the first jet of the new contract (of 9 ordered in 2019). And the first of lot 16. So it would make sense if it is indeed the first Dutch TR-3 aircraft.

LM can always park it in a hangar untill block4 and TR-3 testing is ready, it was never supposed to be delivered in 2023.
I presume they will continue building Dutch F-35's in Cameri and deliver them when they are block4
and TR-3 proof
Danish and Belgium deliveries are halted for the same reason, but aircraft are still coming from the production line

[nils]

confirmed:

First Belgian F-35A (AY-01, BAF FL-01) will be handed over on December 10.

[Bunzing]

confirmed:

First Belgian F-35A (AY-01, BAF FL-01) will be handed over on December 10.

On a Sunday...

[Starfighter_F-104G]

F-35A AF-397 22-5697 WI seen Fort Worth 29-11-2023

[Starfighter_F-104G]

Hill 30-11-2023

AF-27 w/o /AF-211 damaged swap nose section

After researching the feasibility, the F-35 JPO, working with the 388th Fighter Wing, opted to reconstruct AF-211, an aircraft that encountered a nose landing-gear separation in June 2020.
The nose section of this aircraft is being replaced with the undamaged nose from AF-27, an F-35 that experienced a severe engine fire at Eglin AFB, Florida, in 2014, and is now serving as an Air Force Air Battle Damage and Repair trainer at Hill.
This project is currently several months ahead of schedule and showing a completion date of March 2025.
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