Posted on 07/21/2011 9:25:02 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
IRST, the Super Hornet’s Future ‘EO Radar’ Cleared for Development
Air/Air
by Tamir Eshel | on July 21st, 2011
The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Infrared Search and Track (IRST) program has been authorized to proceed to the engineering and manufacturing development phase, clearing Milestone B Acquisition Decision Memorandum from the U.S. Navy last week. The pod-mounted IRST system is developed for the Boeing Super Hornet by Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control business unit.
IRST is a critical element of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet Flight Plan, a series of planned capability enhancements planned to maintain the Super Hornet ahead of emerging threats over the coming decades. According to the Navy’s plans, up to 150 IRST systems could be procured to support the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F fleet.
Housed at the tip of the centerline fuel tank, the F/-18E/F IRST employs a passive, long-range infrared sensor that searches for and detects infrared emissions over a wide field of regard. The system can simultaneously track multiple targets and provide a highly effective air-to-air targeting capability, even when encountering advanced threats equipped with radar-jamming technology.
The system enables the pilot to detect, discriminate targets and initiate engagement of hostile targets from extended range, using only passive means, therefore denying the enemy an early warning of such action. The system’s high-angle accuracy also provides the ability to track closely-spaced targets at maximum ranges. The high resolution characteristics of IRST provide dramatically improved raid cell count (40 times more accurate than radar) at maximum declaration ranges – information that can be used stand alone for threat assessment or be fused with other sensor data to enhance situational awareness, ensuring first-to-see, first-to-shoot capability.
“In air-to-air engagements, IRST provides a discriminating capability to counter threats at greater standoff distances enhancing survivability,” said Paul Hey, IRST senior program manager in Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control business. “The successful Milestone B achievement sets the foundation for delivering IRST capability to the warfighter, and is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of the U.S. Navy and industry team.”
According to the manufacturer data, the IRST scan volume is comparable to radar, with selectable scan volumes in azimuth and elevation. It can operate in either track-while-scan or single-target-track modes. Additionally, IRST provides autonomous, passive range on targets to develop a weapon-quality solution, as well as track data to enhance target engagement. “The IRST sensor system will expand Super Hornet detection and targeting capability in multiple mission profiles, including electronically denied environments,” explains Tim Adrian, Boeing F/A-18E/F IRST program manager. The system will also offer advantages as a stand-in sensor detecting ballistic missiles ascending through their boost phase, offering other ballistic missile defense assets an early warning on such missile attacks.
“The F/A-18E/F features a balanced approach to combat survivability and lethality, employing a variety of onboard sensors that provide aircrews with unmatched situational awareness. The new IRST system will continue to expand the Super Hornet’s advanced capability.”
IRST subsystems include the Long-Wave Infra-Red (LWIR) sensor head with a three-axis inertially stabilized gimbal unit that scans the optics and detector assembly, a COTS processor that hosts the algorithms and a high density digital recorder.
The IRST is compact enough to be mounted in various locations, from a conformal fuselage mount to a pylon. Lockheed Martin, The Boeing Company, and the U.S. Air Force are also developing a different IRST pod for the F-15C, which will be transportable across a wide range of platforms. Program members include the Boeing Company the aircraft manufacturer and system integrator, Lockheed martin developing the sensor, GE Aviation [NYSE: GE], delivering the container pod and assembly, and Meggitt Defense Systems Inc providing the power and cooling systems. Lockheed Martin is currently subcontracted to the Boeing Company to supply IRST sensor systems in support of the U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F and U.S. Air Force F-15C IRST programs. The company maintains an active IRST production line, supporting international variants of the F-15. Among these customers are the Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force, which opted to include the AN/AAS-42 on its latest F-15SA; AN/AAS-42 is an earlier generation of the IRST being developed for the Super Hornet. It was developed and employed with the the U.S. Navy F-14D Tomcat swing-wing fighters aboard U.S. carriers. The AN/AAS-42 has accumulated over 200,000 flight hours with the Tomcats.
IRST subsystems include the Long-Wave Infra-Red (LWIR) sensor head with a three-axis inertially stabilized gimbal unit that scans the optics and detector assembly, a COTS processor that hosts the algorithms and a high density digital recorder. The IRST is compact enough to be mounted in various locations, from a conformal fuselage mount to a pylon. Photo: Lockheed Martin
Gonna get expensive real fast if Hornet drivers start jettisoning their centerline fuel tanks in combat.
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This reminds me of the first (to my knowledge) U.S. application of the "let's-put-a-humongous-radar-on-a-fighter" concept, which was the WWII Northrop P-61 Black Widow Nightfighter.
Imagine the poor farmer or whoever on the ground!
Seems a strange place to put it. the F-101B, and several Russian/Soviet fights, Mig-29, Su-27, etc, had/have IRST. They put them on the top of the fuselage, just forward of the windscreen or just aft of the radome.
Did they clear waivers with the Chinese patent owners?
Checked for software trapdoors, right, fellas?
Got Taiwanese chips?
On a more serious note, you'd think they'd mount two: one where the Russians do it, and another (as part maybe of a FLIR installation?) forward of the nosewheel bay door.
Might be an idea to have a third one atop a vertical stab, facing aft.
That would require having pull aircraft out of service for extended periods for modification; putting in a modified fuel tank probably takes lesser time and needs lesser rewiring.
OTOH, the Super Hornet international roadmap concept does have an integrated IRST below the nose.
http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/5/4/8/1866845.jpg
I like that - that’s pretty.
But I’ve been partial to black painted aircraft. I liked the F-117, and I really loved the SR-71 and the idea of the YF-12.
Not all that long. You'd do it during a regularly scheduled depot maintaince period. Or maybe even during other scheduled maintaince at the unit level. Modern units would have smaller electronics "boxes", but the actual sensor head would be about the same size. Those were as I said, in a fairing just under the windscreen. You're probably correct about the wiring though. The center-line station is likely already wired. The IRST is not an imaging sensor, so only control, power and aircraft "state" information (pitch roll yaw, and maybe angular rates) need be supplied, while the output would just be "hits", which would be pretty low bandwidth compared to a video signal, and would likely be accommodated on the existing digital data bus, except for the power.
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