IR Search & Track

The Air Force Research Laboratory is looking for the next leap in airborne infrared search-and-track technology after posting a broad agency announcement on March 12 for innovative ideas that might lead to the development of an "advanced, staring" IRST capability for air superiority.

The new program is separate to the Air Force's pursuit of an IRST pod for the F-15C Eagle, and instead focuses on future designs.

AFRL is particularly interested in new technologies to create a smaller and more capable aircraft-mounted device with a wide field of view to detect and track airborne threats in a highly contested, anti-access, area-denied environment.

"By leveraging advancements in the development of large-format, two-dimensional focal plane arrays, much benefit can be realized from successful implementation of Wide Field-of-View concepts for an offensive staring IRST system," the statement of work attached to the BAA states. "It is anticipated that this type of sensor will yield higher performance in a more compact, lighter-weight design with greater aircraft installation flexibility and beneficially augment existing fire control capabilities."

Today's systems spot infrared radiation emitting from enemy aircraft and missiles, but have difficulty in some operating environments and poor weather conditions, according to the BAA.

Tomorrow's system, though, could be capable of detecting and tracking along "clear atmospheric paths and in cluttered environments," the BAA states. The "staring" sensor would be a fixed unit like the Active Electronically Scanned Array radars mounted on modern fighter jets -- doing away with existing gimbaled optics.

AFRL expects program tasks to include trade studies, preliminary designs, prototyping, algorithm development and validation of the long-range infrared sensing capability, according to the BAA.