The
U.S. Navy recently tested, for the first time on a Boeing F/A-18 Super
Hornet aircraft, the Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor that will
find hard-to-detect targets over long distances. Boeing and Lockheed
Martin are developing and integrating IRST, an essential upgrade to
the combat capability of the Navy’s Super Hornets. |
"Adding
an advanced infrared sensor to the Super Hornet broadens the Navy's
warfighting ability," Navy F/A-18 Program Manager Capt. Frank Morley
said. "Combined with the Super Hornet's advanced radar and the
Growler's electronic attack radar jamming ability, IRST will allow the
fleet to dominate the skies in all threat environments."
"We continually evolve the aircraft to outpace future adversaries,"
says Tim Adrian, IRST F/A-18 program manager. "When radar isn't
an option, this upgrade allows operators to locate targets and deploy
the best weapon for the mission."
The IRST system is being developed under a $135 million contract awarded
in 2011 and is currently planned to be deployed by 2017. The technology
was initially tested last year on a Boeing King Air test aircraft, which
helped reduce costs by advancing the technology before installation
on Super Hornets.
"The success of this first flight and the test flights before it
highlights the maturity of the next-generation IRST system that Lockheed
Martin and Boeing are delivering to the U.S. Navy today to support Navy
Carrier Strike Group objectives," said Ken Fuhr, director of fixed
wing programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
The combat-proven Super Hornet provides unequaled air dominance and
precision strike capability. The EA-18G Growler, derived from the Super
Hornet, is the United States' newest and most advanced airborne electronic
attack platform. The Navy plans to fly these aircraft until about 2040. |
