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F-35
LONDON–The UK defense ministry is insisting that delays to the production and capability upgrades of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will not impact plans for the UK to declare full operational capability (FOC) of the aircraft.
In a letter to the Parliamentary Defense Committee, Minister for Defense Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle said the aircraft’s new delivery plans “will not impact” the scheduled FOC declaration, currently planned for year’s end.
And while “risks remain” to production line output, the UK is also expecting to receive all of the aircraft from its first batch of 48 by March 2026, the letter says.
The UK has currently received 36 F-35Bs of the 48 it has on order. The next delivery to the UK will feature aircraft equipped with Block 4 software and Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3). It is currently planned for May.
Delays to TR-3 have impacted plans for the integration of UK weapons onto the platform, including the MBDA Meteor air-to-air missile and the Spear 3 mini cruise missile.
Eagle says the UK is supporting the “redefinition” of the content of the Block 4 upgrade program, noting that a Block 4 subprogram of capability enhancements is being established with U.S. congressional oversight that will be delivered by 2033.
Eagle says this subprogram “will improve the survivability and lethality of the aircraft, safeguarding the UK’s operational advantage considering ever-developing threats.”
A decision on the subprogram’s content is expected later this year. It will feature capabilities “based on warfighter priorities, technical maturity, and program delivery capacity,” Eagle writes. The integration of UK weapons, including Meteor and Spear 3, are included in the review process.
Meanwhile, the UK Lightning Force, the joint Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy construct that operates the UK’s F-35 fleet is gearing up for Operation Highmast, the UK’s second major Carrier Strike Group deployment. It will see embarked F-35s deploy to the Mediterranean, Middle East, Australia and Japan. Both UK F-35 frontline squadrons will embark, with eight fighters on the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales for the deployment’s first phase. But one unit will return to the UK before the ship reaches the Middle East.
“This operation will display our global carrier strike reach, demonstrating the ability to deploy, operate and command a Carrier Strike Group consisting of two UK Lightning squadrons, with associated support,” Eagle says.
The UK plans to continue growing the UK F-35 fleet, with funding allocated for a second batch that will increase its number to 74 aircraft. This will enable the formation of a third frontline squadron by 2033.
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