IRST21, pictured on the F/A-18F centreline tank. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract from Boeing for phase II of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II Infrared Search and Track (IRST) program.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will complete development, platform integration, flight test, and qualification of the IRST21 Block II sensor onto the Super Hornet. The sensor is carried in the nose of a modified centreline external fuel tank on Super Hornet, and in the Legion pod carried on other aircraft such as the USMC AV-8B Harrier II.

“We are continuing a long legacy of delivering unmatched sensor technologies to our customers around the globe,” said Michael Williamson, vice president of Sensors & Global Sustainment at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The IRST21 sensor system provides U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F operators with superior detection and survivability capabilities.”

The IRST21 sensor system uses infrared search and track technology to passively detect and track airborne threats in radar-denied environments.