The US Air Force’s (USAF) air superiority stealth aircraft—the F-22 Raptor—is slated to receive distributed arrays of Infrared Search and Track (IRST) to enhance its survivability and lethality. The development comes as the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, which was supposed to replace the Raptor, is now being reconsidered.
The USAF awarded Lockheed Martin a US$270 million contract for embedding the TacIRST Infrared Defensive System (IRDS) on the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor.
“We understand the need for advanced and versatile infrared systems like IRDS that will make pilots’ missions more survivable and lethal against current and future adversaries,” said Hank Tucker, Vice President of Missions Systems at Lockheed Martin. “We’re committed to supporting the Air Force through continuous innovation of capabilities to deter and defeat evolving threats.”
The F-22 was envisioned as an aircraft with advanced sensors and IRST capability since its inception. However, in the pre-production stage of the aircraft, the IRST installation was shelved due to mounting financial constraints.
Notably, the USAF has been looking for IRST capability for its ace stealth fighters for some time now. For instance, a document issued under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program sought submissions related to new IRST capability and additional upgrades for the F-22 in 2022.
The integration of the IRST will allow the Raptor to detect and track an array of aerial threats, including stealthy ones.
This is a key requirement in modern air combat where adversaries are flying not just stealth fixed-wing fighters and bombers but also stealthy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The distributed sensors will bolster the aircraft’s overall situational awareness, thus boosting its survivability.
The specifics of how the IRST system would be integrated with the Raptor are currently under wraps. It could be installed internally, but that would likely require a significant “rebuild” and affect the radar signature of the entire aircraft.
Alternatively, the aircraft could get pods. The Raptor has been spotted flying with stealthy underwing pods in the recent past, which is believed to be linked with the IRST integration program.
Currently, the F-22 is equipped with the AN/AAR-56 Missile Launch Detection System, or MLD. With the new capability, the Raptor pilot can keep a 360-degree eye on threats from guided missiles launched from the air and the ground. At this point, it is not known whether the IRST will replace the MLD or supplant it.
The addition of IRST to the USAF’s stealth aircraft is significant as it comes amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
The IRST system helps detect and track an aircraft based on the infrared (IR) signature of that aircraft, which includes heat from engines and frictional heating between the air. It detects temperature differences between the colder ambient air and the thermal radiations from an aircraft traveling at high speed.
The IRST can detect targets in the infrared spectrum over longer distances despite enhancements designed to lower their radar cross-section.
Speaking to EurAsian Times over the integration of IRST sensors on the Taiwanese F-16 Vipers in a previous instance, military expert and Indian Air Force veteran Squadron Leader Vijainder K. Thakur explained: “IRST has good passive detection & tracking capabilities against stealth aircraft. Chinese stealth aircraft do not have good Infrared signature suppression. On a clear day, it would be possible for an F-16 with IRST to detect a stealth fighter from a 70-kilometer range without revealing its position. On the other hand, a stealth fighter could only detect the F-16 by switching on its radar, revealing its position.”
This capability would become more lethal when mounted on a stealth aircraft like the F-22 Raptor, especially in a potential future combat scenario against Chinese stealth fighter jets.
Notably, the IRST technology is entirely passive, meaning it does not give away the location of the aircraft it is mounted on, unlike typical radars that emit radio waves if the pilot uses them in active mode to detect hostile aircraft. The IRST systems cannot be jammed electronically, a burgeoning threat in modern combat.
Following decades of work and hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the development of stealth aircraft, modern militaries are rapidly advancing counter-stealth technologies, such as the IRST systems.
Both China and Russia have these systems integrated into their fighters. For example, Russia claims that the Su-57 stealth aircraft is fitted with IRST, whereas China’s recently spotted sixth-generation aircraft reportedly features advanced IRST capability.
Raptors Are Here To Stay
The integration of IRST into Raptors is noteworthy as it is believed to be a part of a larger modernization program aimed at expanding the capabilities of the Raptor, increasing its service life for operations into the 2040s, and making it more combat-ready amid a changing security environment.
Earlier, the Raptors were to be replaced by the next-generation NGAD aircraft, a plan now indefinitely postponed due to NGAD’s uncertain future.
With the uncertainty surrounding the NGAD, keeping the Raptors serviceable, combat-capable, and up-to-date with modern technology has become imperative.
This is why the service has been actively seeking new avionics, radar, targeting sensors, weapons, glass cockpit displays, and artificial intelligence for its F-22 stealth fighter for several years to maintain air superiority.
When asked about plans for the retirement of the Raptor in August 2024, Brig. Gen. Jason D. Voorheis, Program Executive Officer for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, said: “I don’t have a date for you regarding the F-22’s retirement.”
“What I can tell you is that we are hyper-focused on modernization to sustain that air superiority combat capability for a highly contested environment for as long as necessary,” he added.
Voorheis proposed a new Government Reference Architecture Computing Environment, or “GRACE,” as the key to the F-22’s possible prolonged lifespan. According to him, the open architecture software will allow “non-traditional F-22 software” to be loaded on the fighter. He further added that it would permit “additional processing and pilot interfaces.”
The F-22 is also getting a host of upgrades as part of a modernization program that aims to invest US$7.8 billion before 2030, including US$4.7 billion for procurement and US$3.1 billion for research and development.
Some of the anticipated upgrades for the F-22 Raptor were revealed in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal documents and in an official artwork that was provided by the Commander of the Air Combat Command at the time, Gen. Mark Kelly. The artwork showed three Raptors with two underwing faceted pods, a new, unidentified air-to-air missile, and new, stealthy external fuel tanks.
In 2024, the Raptor was spotted with external fuel tanks that appeared to be compatible with the tanks featured in the artwork. Compared to the existing 600-gallon fuel tanks, the new tanks, purportedly called Low Drag Tank and Pylon (LDTP), are intended to be more aerodynamically efficient and stealthy.
Additional enhancements for the Raptor listed in the budget request include a new Operational Fight Program, advanced radar Electronic Protection, Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation System (INS) Modernization (EGI-M), Link 16 and Multifunction Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS), a Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), new encrypted radios, and Open System Architecture (OSA).
F-22 pilots are also testing a new helmet as part of the Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet program, which aims to replace the HGU-55P helmet, which has been the standard supplied helmet for over three decades. In addition to this, the F-22 was earlier designated as a test bed for the NGAD and might be able to receive some cutting-edge technology meant for the sixth-generation fighter jet.
As Brig. Voorheis informed reporters last year: “The F-22 team is working hard on executing a modernization roadmap to field advanced sensors, connectivity, weapons, and other capabilities.”
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari9555 (at) gmail.com
- Follow EurAsian Times on Google News
