LockMart awarded F-15C IRST contract

Boeing has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to continue development of an infrared search and track (IRST) system for the USAF’s F-15C Eagle fighters.

The IRST will be mounted on a pylon under the F-15’s left engine intake and is a development of the AN/AAS-42 system previously operated on the F-14D Tomcat and currently under development for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The sensor can be cued by the aircraft’s radar or the pilot’s helmet mounted cueing system, or independently, and can identify targets passively at ranges exceeding 40km.