US defense giant to deliver first batch of F-35 fighters

Senior officials from the US defense industry group Lockheed Martin have just revealed the schedule for delivering the first batch of F-35 fighter jets to Poland. The original timeline has been affected by the process of upgrading the latest TR-3 software for this 5th generation stealth fighter.

“The first F-35s for Poland are expected to leave the plant (in Fort Worth, Texas) this summer,” Gary North, vice president of customer requirements at Lockheed Martin, told Defense News earlier this week.

The senior Lockheed Martin official, who is also a former general in charge of the US Pacific Air Forces, also updated the schedule for training Polish pilots to fly the most advanced fighter jets.

“From late 2024 to 2026, these aircraft will be used at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, as the first training ground for Polish pilots.”

The comments from the US defense giant largely align with statements from Polish Defense Ministry officials. Last month, a ministry spokesperson told Defense News that “the implementation of the contract for the purchase of 32 F-35 fighter jets is proceeding according to schedule.”

Seven F-35 Lightning IIs wait to take off for a training mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on January 31, 2024. Photo: Defense News

In the US, Lockheed Martin has struggled to update its TR-3 package, which includes software and hardware upgrades designed to improve the computing performance that underpins the next-generation fighter's operations.

Last month, Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet told reporters that the first TR-3-capable F-35s, which are more than a year overdue, won't be considered combat-ready until 2025.

In January 2020, Poland signed a deal worth about $4.6 billion under which the NATO member state in Eastern Europe will buy 32 fifth-generation jets from the United States.

In parallel, the liquidation of military items abroad allows the Polish Army to replace its outdated Soviet-designed Sukhoi Su-22 and Mikoyan MiG-29 jets, adding stealth-capable F-35s to its fleet of F-16 C/D Block 52+ jets and FA-50 light attack aircraft.

The F-35s are expected to arrive in Poland in 2026, making it the first country to operate the Lockheed Martin-made fighter jet in the region, followed by the Czech Republic and Romania .

Minh Duc (According to Defense News)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/ga-khong-lo-quoc-phong-my-sap-giao-lo-tiem-kich-f-35-dau-tien-a663184.html