ORLANDO, Fla. - Lockheed Martin has demonstrated a dedicated pod-to-pod data link for its Legion infrared search-and-track (IRST) sensor system, allowing two F-16 fighters to share passive sensor data in flight and improve airborne target-track accuracy.
During recent flight tests in Tucson, Ariz., two F-16s equipped with Legion pods connected through a pre-production version of L3Harris' HiveLink data link. The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Test Center conducted the tests, with the aircraft operating from Morris Air National Guard Base. Lockheed Martin says the shared data improved track accuracy and enabled near-instantaneous range solutions for multiple airborne targets.
Legion, formerly known as IRST21, is a passive IRST system designed to detect and track airborne targets without emitting radar energy. By sharing measurements between aircraft, the networked system provides additional information to determine target range and prioritize contacts in radar-denied or contested environments.
Lockheed Martin says Legion uses a modular open-systems approach that allows additional capabilities, including data links, to be integrated into the sensor system. Under contract with the Air National Guard, the company is flight testing Legion on F-16 aircraft to validate performance, transportability and interoperability. Future work is expected to include integration of software-defined radios, multi-waveform gateways and support for manned-uncrewed teaming.
The HiveLink system developed by L3Harris provides line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight connectivity for contested and denied environments. The company says HiveLink combines mesh networking, Common Data Link interoperability, and waveform flexibility for operations on SWaP-constrained platforms.
Legion is currently in production and fielded in a podded configuration on U.S. Air Force F-15 and F-16 aircraft. Lockheed Martin says the system's open architecture supports transportability to additional fighter, non-fighter, and uncrewed aircraft.
