Lockheed Martin provides IRST21 sensor system spares for U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F aircraft
ORLANDO, Fla., 12 Aug. 2016. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) won a $23.7 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide IRST21 sensor system spares to support the U.S. Navy’s IRST21-equipped F/A-18E/F fleet of aircraft.
The contract was awarded by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Aviation, the U.S. military’s integrated materiel manager for repair parts and operating supply items supporting fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Lockheed Martin received its first IRST21 spares contract, valued at $16 million, from DLA Aviation in 2015.
IRST21, pictured on the F/A-18F, is a passive, long-wave infrared sensor system that searches for and detects heat sources within its large field-of-regard, enabling long-range detection and track of enemy targets under normal and electronic attack environments. (Photo by Lockheed Martin)
The IRST21 sensor system uses infrared search and track technology to detect and track airborne threats. Compared to radar, IRST21 enhances the resolution of multiple targets, enabling pilots to accurately identify threat formations at longer ranges. This “see first, strike first” capability empowers pilots with more reaction time and improves survivability.
IRST21 is the next generation of Lockheed Martin’s legacy IRST sensor system, which accumulated more than 300,000 flight hours on the U.S. Navy’s F-14 and international F-15 platforms. Currently, IRST21 flies mounted in the F/A-18E/F’s centerline fuel tank. IRST21 is also a component in Legion Pod, Lockheed Martin’s offering for the U.S. Air Force F-15C IRST program.
“The U.S. Navy will receive the spares in conjunction with the low-rate initial production deliveries, which enables cost savings in procurement and production,” describes Paul Lemmo, vice president of Fire Control/SOF CLSS at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Most importantly, it ensures that this new capability is readily available for the warfighter.”
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
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Courtney enjoys writing about all things high-tech in PennWell’s burgeoning Aerospace and Defense Group, which encompasses Intelligent Aerospace and Military & Aerospace Electronics. She’s also a self-proclaimed social-media maven, mil-aero nerd, and avid avionics and space geek. Connect with Courtney at [email protected], @coho on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and on Google+.
