The
Navy’s infrared search and track (IRST) system received Milestone
C acquisition approval Dec. 2, authorizing low-rate initial production
(LRIP) of the sensor pod. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are developing
and integrating IRST, an essential upgrade to the combat capability
of the U.S. Navy’s Super Hornets. |
Approved
by Vice Admiral Paul Grosklags, Principal Military Deputy for the Assistant
Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition), LRIP
authorization provides the Navy’s IRST program with the six pods
needed to achieve future initial operational capability (IOC). IOC is
a key procurement milestone achieved when a military system or product
meets operational capabilities before proceeding to full operational
capability.
The IRST system, managed by Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR)
F/A-18 & EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265), is a long-wave infrared
sensor pod that searches for, identifies and tracks heat sources at
extended ranges. The IRST pod is a passive system that does not emit
radiation, thereby hindering the enemy’s ability to detect the
system.
“Integrating the infrared pod onto the Super Hornet revolutionizes
how we fight on a networked battlefield,” said Capt. Frank Morley,
PMA-265 program manager. “IRST advances the Super Hornet’s
role in air-to-air combat operations, keeping us ahead of our adversaries
in an evolving threat environment.”
The pod allows simultaneous tracking of multiple targets under normal
and electronic attack warfare conditions. The sensor pod is mounted
within the Super Hornet’s centerline fuel tank, requiring no modifications
to the aircraft’s airframe.
The IRST system completed its first flight aboard an F/A-18F Super Hornet
in February 2014.
Following the Milestone C decision, performance and aeromechanical flight
testing will continue to determine the IRST capability’s limits
within aircraft constraints and to ensure operational stability and
safety. These are critical steps toward attaining IOC, expected later
this decade, Morley said.
“The team worked hard to reach the milestone despite budgetary
challenges during the manufacturing development and engineering phases
of the IRST system,” said Michele Moran, PMA-265 Electro-Optics/Infra-Red
integrated product team lead.
“Like many programs across the Navy, budget cuts presented significant
financial uncertainties, and the IRST program was not impervious to
these cuts,” Moran said. “Our team was able to completely
restructure the program, overcome the budget constraints and press forward
with Milestone C.”
PMA-265 will now transition into the limited production and introduction
phases of the next-generation capability with the support of industry
partners, Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
In addition to the IRST system, next-generation capabilities incorporated
in the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Flight Plan include advanced fused sensors,
Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, counter electronic attack,
Distributed Targeting System, multi-sensor integration, anti-surface
warfare, IP-based linked networks and advanced air-to-ground and air-to-air
precision weapons operating on an open architecture. |
