The U.S. Navy completed its first flight test of the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor, designed to find hard-to-track targets over long distances.
Boeing calls the IRST sensor an essential upgrade for future combat capability for the Navy’s fleet of Super Hornets.
"Combined with the Super Hornet’s advanced radar and the Growler’s electronic attack radar jamming ability, IRST will allow the fleet to dominate the skies in all threat environments," said Navy F/A-18 Program Manager Capt. Frank Morley
The upgrade will allow pilots to locate targets when radar is not an option.