FRC East begins first operational upgrades of F-35B fighter jets to advanced TR-3 configuration

At Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, civilian and military technicians are carrying out a first for the operational F-35 fleet: converting the first three fielded F-35B Lightning II aircraft from the Technology Refresh 2 configuration to the more advanced Technology Refresh 3 standard.

The work marks the first full TR-3 retrofits of operational F-35Bs and a significant milestone in the modernization of the global F-35 fleet. Aircraft BF-105 was delivered on May 14, 2026, marking the first completed TR-3 retrofit on an operational F-35B. Aircraft BF-88 followed on May 21, 2026, while aircraft BF-81 is projected to complete its conversion in July 2026.

The assignment builds on more than a decade of F-35 experience at Cherry Point. Fleet Readiness Center East has performed depot-level maintenance on the F-35B since 2013 and is the lead site for depot-level maintenance on the variant. The facility has the materiel, support equipment, and staffing needed to test and repair designated F-35 components and has capability declarations on F-35 components.

Preparing for the first-of-its-kind conversions also required extensive theoretical and practical training. FRCE personnel reviewed tens of thousands of engineering drawings and blueprints while technicians studied the manufacturing and assembly process at Rolls-Royce's LiftWorks facility in Indiana.

That expertise resides in a workforce of more than 4,000 civilian, military, and contract employees. FRCE is North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul, and technical services provider and one of the largest industrial employers in eastern North Carolina.

The TR-3 upgrade significantly increases the F-35's computing power and memory, boosting processing capability by approximately 16 to 25 times compared with TR-2. It modernizes the aircraft's core computing system and adds a new panoramic cockpit display, creating the hardware backbone required for forthcoming Block 4 capabilities. Those capabilities include enhanced sensors, electronic warfare systems, and advanced weapons integration.

The work beginning at Cherry Point could extend well beyond the first three aircraft. More than 700 F-35s already fielded worldwide will require TR-3 upgrades.

"There are more than 700 aircraft already fielded that must be upgraded, and BF-81 and BF-88 are the first of many," U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Matthew Hawkins, Materiel Leader for F-35 Modifications and Retrofits at the F-35 Joint Program Office, said.

"The faster we can upgrade jets, the more capable the warfighter will be," U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Matthew Hawkins, Materiel Leader for F-35 Modifications and Retrofits at the F-35 Joint Program Office, said.

FRCE's successful completion of the first operational conversions positions the facility for sustained advanced maintenance work in the years ahead and signals long-term demand for the skilled civilian and military technicians at one of eastern North Carolina's largest industrial employers.