Boeing [BA] awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] a $108 million contact for Phase II of the Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Block II program.
Boeing is the prime contractor for the design and development of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II IRST program within the larger Super Hornet Block III program.
IRST Block II is a Phase II replacement for the IRST Block I on Super Hornets. IRST itself is a passive infrared sensor with a range longer than radar, but it has to contend with atmospheric and weather interference. The Block II model uses an upgraded Lockheed Martin IRST21 system in a center pod below the airframe.
Under this Nov. 26 award, Lockheed Martin will finish development, platform integration, flight testing, and qualification of the IRST21 Block II system. The company said these efforts will enhance IRST21’s detection, tracking, and ranging capabilities in radar-denied environments.
The Super Hornet Block III program is working to add to and extend the capabilities of Super Hornets. Beyond IRST upgrades, it also includes conformal fuel tanks for extra range, an extension to 9,000 flight hour service life, stealth improvements, a new cockpit system display, a new data pipe network and a new onboard computer.
Earlier this year Boeing officials said combining the new computing resources with the new IRST will allow pilots to share data and compute weapons-quality tracking akin to having depth perception using two eyes (Defense Daily, May 24).
In August the Navy awarded Boeing a $152.5 million contract to design, develop, integrate, and test the IRST Block II (Defense Daily, Aug. 20).
Earlier in May, Boeing won an $89 million contract for initial design and development work and to fully incorporate the IRST Block II onto the Super Hornets (Defense Daily, May 26, 2017).