A U.S. Navy Sailor directs a Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242 aboard the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH-183) off the coast of Japan on Oct. 3, 2021. Marines and Sailors assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) embarked aboard Izumo to support the first ever F-35B Lightning II operations aboard a Japanese vessel (U.S. Marine Corps Photo)
Development of an upgraded software capability for the F-35 fighter aircraft is maturing but more slowly than expected and while Lockheed Martin [LMT] is still aiming to deliver the third Technology Refresh (TR-3) by June, it is more likely customer acceptance…