PATUXENT RIVER NAS, Maryland – U.S. Navy air combat experts are advancing early production of the Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Block II air targeting system for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter-bomber as part of a $132.4 million order placed last week.

Officials at the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland are requesting critical components for the IRST Block II from Lockheed Martin Corp.’s Missile and Fire Control Division in Orlando. The IRST Block II will enable the Super Hornet to stealthily detect, track and attack enemy aircraft without revealing their presence.

The contract calls for Lockheed Martin to supply 37 infrared receivers – 31 for the Navy and six for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF); 28 processors – 24 for the Navy and four for the RAAF); and 18 inertial measurement units – 16 for the Navy and two for the RAAF.

These components will be used to procure and deliver low-volume IRST Block II systems for the first production batch of 8. The order includes 3,000 Texas Instruments integrated circuits as part of a lifetime obsolescence protection plan.

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The IRST, the Super Hornet’s fighter aircraft, is a long-wave infrared detection sensor system that detects enemy aircraft in conditions where the Super Hornet cannot use its radar. The system, which Boeing is purchasing from Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Orlando, Florida, uses infrared search and track technology to detect potentially hostile aircraft and provide them with weapon-grade tracking solutions.

The U.S. Navy and Boeing first deployed the IRST Block II capsule on an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet late last year. IRST is a long-range passive sensor that uses infrared and other sensor technologies for precise target acquisition.

The IRST Block II gives the F/A-18 enhanced optics and computing power, which significantly improves the pilot’s situational awareness, Boeing officials say. The Block II variant will be delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2021 and will reach initial operational capability shortly thereafter.

The IRST Block II is part of the Super Hornet Block III upgrades to keep the F/A-18 in active service for decades to come. The Block III upgrades also include improved networking capabilities, increased range with conformal fuel tanks, an advanced cockpit system, signature improvements, and an improved communications system.

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The IRST is mounted on the front of the Super Hornet’s center tank. Three years ago, Navy leadership approved a restructured program that would forego full-scale production of Block I sensors and proceed directly to the Block II system.

The IRST passive search system consists of a passive long-wave infrared receiver, a processor, an inertial measurement unit and an environmental control unit. The infrared receiver, processor and inertial measurement unit fit into the sensor attached to the front of the fuel tank mounted on the aircraft’s BRU-32 bomb carrier.

The Navy developed IRST Block I using components from the infrared receiver on the F-15K/SG aircraft, which is based on the IRST design from the now-retired Navy F-14 Tomcat jet fighter. IRST Block II includes improvements to the infrared receiver and updated processors. The Navy intends to produce 170 IRST systems.

Even under electronic attack or massive RF and infrared countermeasures, the IRST provides autonomous tracking data that improves pilot reaction time and increases survivability through the ability to provide “first look, first shoot” capability, Lockheed Martin officials say.

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Infrared sensors like the IRST detect the heat from an aircraft’s engine exhaust or even the heat generated by the friction of an aircraft as it passes through the atmosphere. Unlike radar, infrared sensors do not emit electronic signals and do not reveal their presence to enemies.

This capability allows Super Hornet pilots to identify enemy aircraft at long distances and fire their air-to-air missiles at maximum range.

Data from the IRST system can be used independently or combined with data from other onboard sensors on the Super Hornet for situational awareness. Lockheed Martin is also developing an IRST capsule that can be installed in the F-15C and F-16 jet fighters.

Under this contract, Lockheed Martin will perform work in Orlando and Ocala, Florida; Santa Barbara, California; and Archibald, Pennsylvania; and work is expected to be completed by April 2028. For more information, contact Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control online at www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/who-we-are/business-areas/missiles-and-fire-control/products.html or Naval Air Systems Command at www.navair.navy.mil.