The Navy has conducted the first flight aboard an F/A-18 Super Hornet with a new infrared tracking system that is designed to be undetectable by enemy electronic attack and jamming capabilities in air-to-air combat scenarios.
Naval Air Systems Command said the first flight with the Infrared Search and Track (IRST) occurred Feb. 11 aboard a Boeing-built [BA] F/A-18. IRST was developed by Lockheed Martin [LMT].
Unlike radar, IRST is a passive long-range sensor that seeks out heat sources while not emitting radiation, making it harder to detect and enabling pilots to better spot and target enemy aircraft while in a high electronic attack environment, NAVAIR said.
“Combined with the Super Hornet’s advanced radar and the (EA-18G) Growler’s electronic-attack radar-jamming ability, IRST will transform the way the Super Hornet conducts air-to-air operations and allows the fleet to dominate the skies in all threat environments,” said Capt. Frank Morley, NAVAIR’s program manager for both aircraft.
IRST was developed in response to advancement in adversarial electronic attack capabilities, NAVAIR said. The command said IRST will keep the Navy’s edge on growing capabilities through 2025.
“With the successful completion of the IRST first flight, we are looking forward to moving on to the next steps required to field this invaluable capability,” Morley said.
Boeing said in a press release that IRST is scheduled to be operational in 2017. Boeing said it tested the technology on other aircraft before it as deployed on an F/A-18.
Boeing said the IRST would be available for the Navy’s current fleet of Super Hornets, and, as in the first flight, would be positioned in the nose of a pod attached to the belly of the aircraft.
Boeing also envisions a new version of the F/A-18 known as the Advanced Super Hornet. The company as of yet has no customers for the Advanced Super Hornet, but says that the IRST sensor would be internally integrated on the advanced version and give the aircraft more payload flexibility.
“This would offer flexibility to use the aircraft’s centerline weapon station to carry additional fuel or weapons, and would support low radar cross section signature configuration options for improved performance,” spokeswoman Lisa Maull said. “The Navy is aware of the advantages of an integrated IRST, and Boeing is committed to working with the Navy to continually generate low-risk affordable options and upgrades, such as IRST, to stay ahead of advanced threats.”
Boeing has been making a hard push to keep its F/A-18 line in St. Louis open beyond 2016 by pitching new capabilities. The company could be forced to close the line by the end of that year if it receives no additional orders from the Navy or on the international market.