“TR-3 is a new foundation to move forward Block 4 integration that started in 2018 and will continue until 2030 or 2032, so for another five to seven years,” Jim Post, the director of the manufacturer’s F-35 Partner Customer Program, told Defense News at the 2025 DSEI UK show in London.

The F-35’s hardware and software upgrade effort, known as Block 4, is designed to boost the fighter jet’s weapons capabilities, sensors and sensor fusion. As of September 2025, it was at least $6 billion over budget and years behind schedule, which was partly due to delays with the implementation of TR-3.

“Block 4 means the aircraft’s evolution, and TR-3 makes the F-35 as much as 25 times faster. It gives the jet’s systems a much improved memory, and its tactical displays for pilots are capable of implementing all processes at a faster speed,” Post said.

As the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is struggling with cost overruns, manufacturing delays and supply chain bottlenecks, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a Sept. 3 statement the “program plans to reduce the scope of Block 4 to deliver capabilities to the warfighter at a more predictable pace than in the past.”

The delayed TR-3 which is critical to the Block 4 modernization effort “was the primary driver of late aircraft deliveries in 2024,” according to the GAO. Last year, Lockheed Martin “delivered 110 aircraft. All were late by an average of 238 days, up from 61 days in 2023.”

Under the plan, dedicated operational tests for the TR-3 upgrades are to begin in the U.S. in mid to late fiscal 2026, allowing to verify if the technology refresh is operationally effective.

Editor’s note: The story has been updated to clarify Lockheed Martin expects the Block 4 modernizations to be done by 2032.

The Germany-based company launched its latest unmanned ground vehicle, the Combat Gereon, during the DSEI trade show here last week.

The system, which combines the existing Gereon RCS platform with AI-enabled autonomous functions, was displayed here armed with the LOKI remote weapon station from Slovenian company Valhalla Turrets.

The variant was developed in partnership with the Ukrainian company Frontline, the Ukrainian military and frontline-experienced testers, ARX Robotics chief executive officer Marc Wietfeld told Defense News.

The company boss detailed three key suggestionsprovided by the Ukrainian forces relating to the system’s dimensions and operationsto make it more adaptable to real combat conditions.

“Some [examples] included reducing the UGV’s size and weight to allow easy integration into front-line logistics; simplifying controls so that operators with minimal training can use it effectively under combat stress; and increasing modularity to enable quick field repair and adaptation to changing mission needs,” Wietfeld said.

The use of combat robots across the battlefield in Ukraine has proliferated, with machines taking over tasks previously assigned to soldiers.

The dynamic has translated into an increase in companies engagedin the development of UGVs, which now stands at over 100, per the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation website.

Earlier this year, the European Defense Agency’s innovation hub launched an initiative to test aerial drones and UGVs to assess their fit in resupply and logistics missions.

While several European manufacturers already produce war robots, Wietfield said the main drawbacks of many of these platforms revolve around their size, cost and complexity.

“The main weaknesses of many European combat UGVs are their large form factor and heavy weight, which prevent integration into front-line logistics – they are [also] often complex, expensive, and based on sensitive technology not designed for sustained battlefield use,” he said.

He added that several of them require up to three operators, which can be an inefficient use of personnel, as many countries already face manpower shortages.

Matthew Moore, the deputy sales director for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at Thales U.K., told Defense News that, under the Peregrine program, the two companies have already supplied naval surveillance UAVs to the Royal Navy.

“In the Persian Gulf, Camcopters S-100 have been deployed to Type 23 frigates and they are carrying out extensive surveillance missions. Building on the success of the S-100, Schiebel and Thales are now working to offer two new armed variants of the Camcopter to clients in Europe and beyond,” Moore said at the 2025 DSEI UK show in London last week.

As part of the joint effort, Thales acts as a systems integrator and supplier of sensors to the expanding Camcopter range, he said.

The company representative stated that, adding to the unarmed system’s existing users such as the U.K., France and South Korea, the new armed variants will also be pitched to countries such as Germany, Japan and New Zealand which are looking to expand their capabilities in this field.

“The S-301 will be available for operations in 2027. It is three times bigger than the S-101, which can carry two Martlet missiles, and it will be able to carry ten such missiles,” according to Moore.

In a statement, Schiebel said that the two “next-generation unmanned helicopter systems represent refined new designs, dedicated for weaponization and engineered to meet the rapidly evolving demands of modern military operations.”

“The armed S-101 and S-301 introduce a new era of innovation and precision strike capability for a tactical UAS. The platforms feature advanced performance, military-grade systems integration, embedded AI and robust architecture, purpose-built for the most demanding defense missions across multi-domain environments,” according to Schiebel.

The S-101 and S-301 are developed and manufactured by Schiebel Defence GmbH, a newly established offshoot based in Austria and dedicated exclusively to armed UAVs.