The fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II stealth aircraft is in the headlines once again after it shadowed Russian combat aircraft that were allegedly watching a military exercise.
The Norwegian Armed Forces announced that two of its F-35 fighter jets took off from Evenes Air Base on March 10 to identify and shadow two Russian Tu-142 ‘BEAR-F’ maritime patrol aircraft flying in international airspace near Troms.
“The Russian aircraft were operating near the area where Exercise #JointViking25 is taking place, a major military exercise involving Norwegian and NATO forces,” the Norwegian Armed Forces said in a post on X. However, they described the operation as routine.
Exercise Joint Viking is Norway’s largest military exercise held biennially. The Joint Viking 2025 exercise began in Troms in northern Norway on March 3, with Norway, Canada, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US in attendance.
The exercise will conclude on March 14.
As soon as the Russian aircraft were spotted, the Norwegian F-35s were dispatched to monitor them as part of Norway’s Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission, which ensures that NATO’s northern flank is effectively policed.
In fact, the Norwegian F-35 fifth-generation stealth aircraft are regularly deployed for NATO policing missions, tasked with intercepting and chasing away Russian fighters and bombers.
Last month, for instance, Norwegian F-35 intercepted the Russian Bomber Task Force, including TU-95 Bear H bomber aircraft escorted by two Su-33 Flanker-D fighter jets in the High North. Before that, the Norwegian Lightning II jets were scrambled to defend Polish airspace for the first time in January 2025.
The F-35 is one of the world’s most advanced multirole stealth fighters that boasts advanced stealth features, an unparalleled sensor suite, and the ability to operate in highly contested environments. The aircraft is operated by multiple NATO allies, positioning it as a symbol of interoperability.
In recent times, this US-origin aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, has been in the headlines rather regularly. For instance, last month, the aircraft hogged headlines when it landed at the Yelahanka Air Base in Bengaluru, India. The aircraft was later unofficially offered to India, and has remained a ‘hot topic’ since then.
Earlier this month, the Dutch F-35A fighter jets successfully intercepted and destroyed multiple drones during training exercises over the Baltic Sea. The exercise, conducted in controlled airspace, was a joint initiative between the Netherlands and Estonia, with the Baltic state providing the drones for the training operation.
More recently, in an intriguing development, the F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin has revealed its big plans for the aircraft’s upgrades, up to the Block 5 level.
The disclosure is seen as audacious as it comes, even though the manufacturer has yet to reveal the specific features of the Block 4 upgrade. The F-35 TF3 configuration, which forms the basis of Block 4, remains backlogged for delivery.
F-35 Upgrades Are Coming
The F-35’s Joint Program Office (JPO) and Lockheed Martin are already deep into analyses of what will make up Block 5 and subsequent upgrades to the F-35, according to Lockheed’s F-35 program manager.
Chauncey McIntosh, the F-35’s general manager and vice president at Lockheed Martin, said at the AFA Warfare Symposium that the JPO and Lockheed are currently assessing what will be required for upcoming upgrades, with the caveat that it will likely change over time.
“Working with the Joint Program Office, there are going to be capabilities that are higher priority, and [some] … that will continue to be important, but maybe not as high priority as number one and number two, and so that list will constantly evolve as we continue to look at what the threat is doing,” he stated.
The development comes ahead of Lockheed Martin’s expected disclosure of the Block 4 updates later this year.
While more specific information about this upgrade remains guarded, there is a hunch that the Block 4 will equip the F-35 with a series of additional sensors, such as an entirely new radar and an EOTS suite for enhanced situational awareness.
Additionally, the Block 4 effort is speculated to include “an advanced sensor suite, improved electronic warfare systems, and long-range precision weapons such as the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range.”
The TR3 configuration is the hardware and software foundation of the 80 or so improvements that comprise the Block 4 upgrade. It is practically intended to equip the F-35 fighter aircraft with enhanced Block 4 capabilities by providing additional computing power. The company has been working on delivering the F-35 with Tech Refresh-3 (TR3) upgrades, which has remained marred in delays.
For months, TR-3 problems have been a stumbling block. The JPO halted deliveries of F-35 in mid-2023 since the aircraft were being built with the TR-3 equipment, which had not adequately been tested at the time. The deliveries were resumed in July 2024 after program executive officer Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt stated that he was confident the TR-3-equipped aircraft were safe to fly.
It is, therefore, intriguing that the Block 5 features are already under consideration.
When speaking of the upgrades at the AFA, McIntosh said, the two main priorities for now are expanded and improved sensors and weapons, “and that’s what you’re going to see us do for now [and] the foreseeable future, throughout Block 4 and Block 5,” he stated.
When asked if Lockheed could reuse features created for the F-22, such as low-drag stealth fuel tanks and pylons or infrared search-and-track systems, McIntosh said that they are being considered but have not yet been included in the list.
McIntosh refused to elaborate on the capabilities that will make up the Block 5 upgrade.
He also added that the Block 5 and subsequent programs do not have set timetables. Certain capabilities might advance from Block 5 to Block 4, while others might be postponed to later blocks to give the technology time to develop.
Last year, Schmidt informed Congress that to focus on more pressing demands, some Block 4 capabilities will be postponed for years.
McIntosh refused to confirm if the TR-3 will be fully tested and certified this year, which would inevitably affect the Block 4 and, consequently, the Block 5 upgrades. However, it is expected to be certified as early as 2026.
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