ORLANDO, Fla. — Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has awarded Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control a $244.96 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for the full-rate production and delivery of 48 Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Block II podded systems. The procurement covers 45 IRST Block II systems for the U.S. Navy’s Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet alongside three systems for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement, supplemented by initial spares, diagnostic equipment, and fleet support services.
The IRST Block II system (designated AN/ASG-34A(V)1 / IRST21) centers on a high-resolution long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensor mounted directly into the nose cone of the Super Hornet’s 330-gallon centerline external fuel tank. Operating as a passive, out-of-band fire-control sensor, the system enables tactical aircrews to search, detect, track, and generate weapon-quality fire-control solutions against low-observable (stealth) aircraft and cruise missiles without emitting radio frequency (RF) energy. Primary manufacturing operations will take place in Orlando, Florida (79.4%), Santa Barbara, California (11.7%), Ocala, Florida (5.7%), and Archbald, Pennsylvania (3.2%), with project completion scheduled for February 2031.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: LOCKHEED MARTIN IRST21 BLOCK II (AN/ASG-34A(V)1)
* System Classification: Passive Long-Wave Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Fire-Control Sensor
* Prime Contractors: Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (Sensor/Optics) & Boeing (Aircraft Integration)
* Primary End-Users: U.S. Navy (45 units) & Royal Australian Air Force / RAAF (3 units)
* Contract Scope & Funding: $244.96 Million | 48 total podded systems + initial spares and field logistics
* Target Program Completion: February 2031
* Physical & Mounting Architecture:
* Pod Integration: Mounted within the modified forward fairing of the 330-gallon F/A-18 centerline external fuel tank (providing an unobstructed forward look-angle)
* Core Sensor Assembly: Lockheed Martin IRST21 long-wave infrared (LWIR) receiver
* Operational Performance & Tactical Capabilities:
* Passive Targeting: Non-emitting out-of-band threat detection, completely resilient against RF jamming and digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) countermeasures
* Target Capabilities: Long-range, BVR detection and tracking of airborne targets, including 5th-generation low-observable fighters and sea-skimming cruise missiles
* Advanced Optics & Processing: Updated electro-optical sensor head, high-speed central processor, and multi-target tracking algorithms enabling multi-ship IRST sensor fusion
* Weapon Integration: Directly feeds high-precision target tracks into the Super Hornet mission computer for beyond-visual-range AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X engagements
