July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin ( LMT )

raised its annual sales target for the first time this

year on Tuesday, following the unexpected resumption of

deliveries of its F-35 aircraft after Pentagon began accepting

the jets last week.

The U.S. resumed taking F-35 deliveries after a months-long

pause due to delays on its software upgrade. Lockheed has been

upgrading the jets under Technology Refresh 3, or TR-3 program,

that gives the F-35 better displays and processing power.

The delivery resumption includes incomplete software upgrade

and Pentagon will withhold some payment, the details of which is

unknown, until the remaining enhancements are finished.

Lockheed's F-35 is the world's largest defense program and

contributes around 30% of the company's revenue.

"The F-35 remains a top priority, and we recently delivered

the first TR-3-configured aircraft to the customer and

anticipate deliveries for 2024 to meet our expected range of

75-110 F-35s," said CEO Jim Taiclet.

TR-3 involves both hardware and software improvements and is

seen as a pillar of a wider upgrade to the stealth jet known as

Block 4. The enhancements "are critical steps in ensuring the

F-35 remains the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world and

the key air vehicle node in the DoD's joint all domain

architecture", Taiclet said.

Lockheed, however, does not expect the full tech refresh

package to be ready for months.

It expects 2024 sales to be between $70.5 billion and $71.5

billion, compared with its previous forecast of $68.5 billion to

$70 billion.

The company also benefited from a $95-billion additional

funding, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel, approved by

Congress.

Combat in Ukraine and Israel has consumed high volumes of

munitions, including Lockheed-made Patriot air defense

interceptors, used to shoot down incoming hostile missiles.

Lockheed posted net income of $6.85 per share for the second

quarter, compared with $6.63 per share a year earlier.

Total quarterly sales rose 8.5% to $18.12 billion.