L3Harris has surpassed the 1,000 Shipset milestone for two of the Tech Refresh 3 (TR3) advanced airborne processing components for the world's most advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Since beginning deliveries in 2022, the Panoramic Cockpit Display Electronic Unit (PCD-EU) and Aircraft Memory System (AMS) have set a new standard for manufacturing discipline and field reliability.
"We built the most advanced airborne processing infrastructure available and scaled it to full production at speed with the quality to match," said Eric DiStasi, President, Airborne Solutions, L3Harris. "Most importantly, our hardware performs – in testing and in the field."
Built for the Warfighter. Delivered at Scale.
The PCD-EU and AMS are two of three core TR3 components produced by L3Harris, together forming a critical part of the integrated suite of mission systems that powers the F-35’s combat capabilities. Representing 1,000 deliveries of each system, this milestone reflects a disciplined, high-performing manufacturing operation built to meet the exacting demands of fifth-generation fighter production.
Together, these components are integral to TR3, delivering a 37-fold increase in processing capability and 20 times the data storage of legacy systems – dramatically boosting the fighter aircraft's computing power, sensor performance and combat effectiveness. The result is superior situational awareness and enhanced decision-making capabilities for pilots operating in the most demanding environments.
L3Harris has maintained a consistent production tempo that simultaneously supports new aircraft production and large-scale upgrades to the fielded fleet of F-35s – demonstrating the kind of manufacturing rigor that complex defense programs require at this scale.
Reliability That Speaks for Itself
Performance specifications only tell part of the story. What sets L3Harris apart is how that performance holds up in the field. Across the F-35 fleet – which has surpassed 1 million flight hours – L3Harris advanced airborne processing systems have demonstrated reliability that exceeds program expectations.
"In the demanding environments the F-35 operates in, reliability isn't optional," said DiStasi. "The warfighter deserves hardware they can depend on, and L3Harris is delivering just that."
Setting the Standard for What's Ahead
The 1,000 Shipset milestone comes as the program maintains a surge to maximum-rate production while it supports parallel production and retrofit for the F-35 program's long-term fleet requirements as the aircraft continues its deployment across multiple services and partner nations.
The third TR3 component produced by L3Harris, the Integrated Core Processor (ICP), achieved full-rate production in 2025, bringing the full suite of enhanced mission systems online in quantities sufficient to meet the demands of the warfighter and further demonstrating L3Harris' advanced airborne processing leadership.
The high-quality manufacturing at scale and field-proven reliability that have defined the PCD-EU and AMS programs establish a clear standard for what advanced airborne processing can deliver. For warfighters operating in increasingly complex and contested environments, that standard matters. L3Harris is committed to meeting it.
