FRCE Delivers First F-35Bs with Technology Refresh-3 Upgrades
FRCE Delivers First F-35Bs with Technology Refresh-3 Upgrades
https://theaviationist.com/2026/06/06/frce-delivers-first-f-35bs-with-technology-refresh-3-upgrades/
Publish Date: 2026-06-06 17:35:00
Source Domain: theaviationist.com
The Fleet Readiness Center East completed the conversion of its first F-35Bs from the TR-2 to the TR-3 configuration, which will support the future Block 4 upgrades.
A major milestone was reached for the F-35B Lightning II as the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, completed the Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3) upgrade on its first aircraft. The TR-3 lays the foundation for the future upcoming Block 4 hardware upgrades.
Airframes BF-105 and BF-88 were delivered on May 14 and May 21, while “BF-81 is projected to complete its conversion in July,” the Jun. 2, 2026, press release from the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) said. The image of BF-105 capturing FRCE members standing before it after the TR-3 upgrades show that the airframe is assigned to the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron-231 (VMFA-231) “Ace of Spades,” part of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s (2nd MAW) constituent unit Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG 14).
The U.S. Marine Corps is the only U.S. service using the F-35B and, along with the carrier-launched F-35C, operates a total of 122 F-35s. Other foreign users of the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 include the U.K., Italy and Japan. The release also mentioned FCRE as among four other global depots for F-35 maintenance repair and modifications, which include Hill AFB and Ogden in Utah, Cameri in Italy and Williamstown in Australia.
Leveling up the Lightning! ⚡️
The JPO has hit a major milestone by beginning the first-ever retrofits of operational F-35B Lightning II aircraft from the TR-2 to the advanced TR-3 configuration.
This massive hardware and software upgrade equips the jets with a substantial boost… pic.twitter.com/8rTN1GpD0b
— F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office (@theF35JPO) June 3, 2026
The development comes close on the heels of a delay in the TR-3 program for all the three F-35 variants, seeing a stopgap simpler version…
