In recent reports, the US side refused to accept deliveries from Lockheed Martinf-35FightersA staggering number has been reached. According to Lockheed Martin's earnings conference last week, they expect a mountain of 100-120 aircraft later this yearf-35Fighters。So why doesn't the US side want so muchf-35This?
Delivered by Lockheed Martinf-35FightersCritical TR-3 (Technology Refresh 3) hardware and software upgrades were not carried out as required. The TR-3 upgrade was supposed to be completed in April 2023 and installed in the same monthf-35delivered to the U.S. side. However, the U.S. side found a new offline in July 2023f-35Only a temporary version of the TR-3 was installed, which could not meet the requirements of military test flights. Therefore, the US side began to refuse to accept this"Half-crippled"off-35。They state that they will always refuse to accept all models unless Lockheed Martin is able to offer the full version of the TR-3 upgradef-35Fighters
TR-3 upgrade forf-35Performance improvements are critical. It will lead to a better cockpitDisplay, more computer memory, and more processing power. These improvements are right:f-35Future upgradesblock4It plays the role of a fundamental guarantee. block4The version will be expandedf-35to enhance its target recognition capabilities and enhance its electronic warfare capabilities.
However, the development progress of Lockheed Martin is stagnantblock4The previous TR-3 was upgraded on the basis. The TR-3 upgrade, which was originally expected to be completed in April 2023, is now expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2024 after multiple delays. This is also why Lockheed Martin has not been able to deliver the installation of the official version of the TR-3f-35Fighters, the reason for the accumulation of a large number of F-35s.
Due to the inability to deliverf-35The numbers are huge, and Lockheed Martin needed to find a proper place to store them. However,f-35FightersCompared to ordinaryFightersIt is more delicate, and the storage space is very demanding for it. As a result, companies need to invest a lot of additional money and resources to solve this problem. In addition,U.S. Department of DefensePenalties were imposed on Lockheed Martin, and each aircraft was rejectedf-35$7 million in amounts due were withheld. This leads to Lockheed Martin 2023f-35Net income fell by $400 million. At the same time, store thesef-35FightersStill neededU.S. militaryThe freeing up of a large number of manpower and hangars increased the burden on the army.
Even in the third quarter of 2024 it will be possible to deliver the installation of the official version of the TR-3f-35FightersThe US side also does not want to acquire dozens or hundreds of planes at oncef-35。Due tof-35FightersRequirements:Pilotsand logistical support systems are very high, so it is not possible to immediately put a large number of themf-35Incorporated into combat units. This will disrupt the training and deployment plans they have in place and will require significant manpower and hangars to support theseFightersoperations.
In addition, even the delivery installed the official version of the TR-3f-35Fighters, follow-upblock4Major upgrades will also need to wait until 2029 to begin. This means:f-35FightersThe performance and capability need to be further improved in order to truly exert its combat effectiveness.
To sum up, Lockheed Martin, in order to maximize profits, delivered"Semi-finished products"off-35Fightersand delay the upgrade plan, resulting in a large number off-35Mountain. This has seriously affected the combat strength and plans of the US side, and at the same time, it has also brought huge economic losses and challenges to Lockheed Martin. The greedy military-industrial system of the United States has seriously affected the renewal of the army's equipment and the improvement of combat effectiveness, which is a huge hidden danger for the United States.