{"id":26503,"date":"2019-06-21T20:23:26","date_gmt":"2019-06-21T20:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/06\/21\/lockheed-hypes-f-35s-upgrade-plan-as-interest-in-sixth-gen-fighters-grows\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:03:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:03:00","slug":"lockheed-hypes-f-35s-upgrade-plan-as-interest-in-sixth-gen-fighters-grows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/06\/21\/lockheed-hypes-f-35s-upgrade-plan-as-interest-in-sixth-gen-fighters-grows\/","title":{"rendered":"Lockheed hypes F-35\u2032s upgrade plan as interest in \u2018sixth-gen\u2019 fighters grows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LE BOURGET, France \u2014 As European defense firms<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/paris-air-show\/2019\/06\/17\/european-leaders-unveil-model-of-next-gen-fighter-aircraft-at-paris-air-show\/\" target=_blank> drum up publicity about the sixth-generation fighters <\/a>they plan to build, Lockheed Martin executives promoted the F-35 as the proven fifth-gen option that could blur the lines with sixth-gen planes as it is upgraded into the 2020s and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s a compliment to the F-35 that many countries are looking<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/paris-air-show\/2019\/06\/17\/turkish-aerospace-industries-reveals-indigenous-tf-x-fighter-as-s-400-dispute-looms\/\" target=_blank> to replicate fifth gen<\/a> and then<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/paris-air-show\/2019\/06\/16\/as-europe-highlights-sixth-gen-fighters-at-paris-air-show-us-keeps-its-plans-under-wraps\/\" target=_blank> extending that to sixth gen<\/a>,\u201d Michele Evans, Lockheed\u2019s head of aeronautics, told Defense News at the Paris Air Show on June 19. \u201cI think it really does reflect on the value of what F-35 is bringing to the pilots and the battlespace. In terms of technology, we\u2019re not going to let F-35 go static.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a Monday briefing, Lockheed laid out a series of upgrades that could be adopted during the jet\u2019s \u201cBlock 4\u201d modification phase in the mid 2020s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/paris-air-show\/\" target=_blank><b>Read more from the Paris Air Show here!<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fundamental to Block 4 is the upcoming \u201cTech Refresh 3\u201d package of IT upgrades, including a new integrated core processor with greater computing power, a panoramic cockpit display and an enhanced memory unit, said Greg Ulmer, Lockheed\u2019s vice president and general manager of the F-35 program. The company intends to incorporate TR3 in F-35s starting in Lot 15, with those jets rolling off the production lot in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/06\/12\/the-pentagon-is-battling-the-clock-to-fix-serious-unreported-f-35-problems\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4-Cropped.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The Pentagon is battling the clock to fix serious, unreported F-35 problems<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Defense News exclusively obtained documents detailing the F-35 jet&#039;s most serious deficiencies.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also in TR3, Lockheed plans to move to an open-architecture backbone for the F-35, which will allow it to more quickly boost the jet\u2019s capabilities with new software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019ll see year over year over year we\u2019re going to have an incremental update,\u201d Ulmer said. \u201cRather than biting it all off [at one time] and waiting for a big-bang tech insertion, we\u2019re going to trickle that out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the modifications that could become available in Block 4 include capabilities like conformal or external fuel tanks that could extend the jet\u2019s range by more than 40 percent, or the auto-ground collision avoidance system that is set to roll out this month \u2014 six years earlier than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But other potential upgrades might lead to an F-35 that blurs the line between a fifth-generation fighter \u2014 characterized by stealth and sensor fusion \u2014 and a sixth-generation one, which at least currently is seen as having advanced network capabilities that could give the pilot control over external weapons, drones and sensors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. Air Force has been upfront about wanting to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/paris-air-show\/2019\/06\/17\/us-air-force-looking-to-fast-track-cash-to-kratos-defense-for-additional-valkyrie-drones\/\" target=\"_blank\">team the F-35 with low-cost attritable drones<\/a> outfitted with artificial intelligence. Attritable aircraft are inexpensive enough for to be replaced if they are shot down or damaged, allowing operators to take a greater amount of risk while using them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the F-35 program currently does not have manned-unmanned teaming as part of its program of record for Block 4, Ulmer said the technology is achievable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think the F-35 is very well-positioned for manned-unmanned teaming. The data sensor fusion approach to the airplane as well as our relationship with our brethren at Skunk Works, I think we\u2019re very well-aligned,\u201d he said, referring to Lockheed\u2019s secretive advanced development arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ulmer pointed to missile defense as another potential use for the F-35.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve done some experimentation here and have seen some very strong results as well, and that will only improve with the TR3 capability of the airplane,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Ulmer didn\u2019t elaborate, the Defense Department is studying whether to outfit the F-35 with a weapon that would allow it to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2019\/01\/17\/pentagon-considering-an-icbm-killing-weapon-for-the-f-35-but-can-it-afford-it\/\" target=\"_blank\">shoot down cruise missiles or intercontinental ballistic missiles<\/a>. Even if the Pentagon opts not to go in that direction, an F-35 might be able to track ICBMs \u2014 as it demonstrated during simulated exercises in 2014 \u2014 or pass along targeting information to other assets that then could intercept it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Multidomain command and control is another potential area of expanse. Again, Ulmer did not provide many details, but acknowledged that Skunk Works has conducted experiments with how the F-35 gathers and shares information, and that they have seen \u201cvery strong results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked whether Lockheed could offer an upgraded F-35 to the U.S. services in sixth-generation fighter competitions rather than a completely new airframe, Evans acknowledged that \u201cit\u2019s definitely something Lockheed is looking at.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m not sure you\u2019re going to see this big leap \u2014 like you saw from fourth gen to fifth gen \u2014 with fifth gen to sixth gen. I think it could very well be an evolution,\u201d she said. \u201cF-35 could be the basis of what we look at, and certainly the technologies of the F-35, if not the platform itself.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;We\u2019re not going to let F-35 go static,&#8221; Lockheed&#8217;s head of aeronautics tells Defense News.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":14570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,24,88,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3305],"class_list":["post-26503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"ROT5RJMEQ5ESXJ7JSWSZZ2ENUY","arc_canonical_url":"\/digital-show-dailies\/paris-air-show\/2019\/06\/21\/lockheed-hypes-f-35s-upgrade-plan-as-interest-in-sixth-gen-fighters-grows\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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