Infra-Red Search & Track (IRST) Systems

[DANGER-ZONE]

My personal opinion is for future aircraft. remove Radar and house a Larger and powerful IRST of the size of Radar in a Fibreglass or some kind of optical Radome. specially to intercept Stealth aircrafts from distance. for this purpose Radar guided Missiles will be replaced by long range IR guided missiles.
a smaller size RADAR can be fitted in a small nose right under the nose. Will show you guys my ideology drawing tomorrow.

keeping Chogy's point in mind that IRST cant give accurate results in different weather conditions hence cannot replace Radar. But as i mentioned before that a large IRST and a small size Radar (which is used in UAVs like we have in Falco) for limited scanning and tracking purpose, could become a deadly combination for ANTI STEALTH Purpose in clear weather conditions and high altitude interception of Stealth bombers.

i am a lil bit late here for posting my concept drawing, my apologise. People might laugh or make fun of it but it is just to show what i thought it has to be. Its not accurate and not well studied and i am not an engineer though but still i am presenting my IDEA here that i think is quite applicable.

Its an imaginary ANIT STEALTH THUNDER.
1 - Top view of it showing placement of LARGE IRST and Small AESA Radar.
2 - Side view, placement of radar and IRST shows how exactly it will increase the width of the aircraft nose.
3 - Front view - (worse details)
4 - Radar portion (lower nose) can be covered by normal composites used to make Radome while rest of the nose can be made of some light weight optical material like Fibreglass.
5- Sqn Marking

What u ppl say ?

 

[Bratva]

A Layman Question, How Does IRST have Look Down capability, i mean, IRST is fixed on Canopy, then how does it look down and take pictures of ground based targets? Take example of this IRST

[/QUOTE]

 

[nightcrawler]

^^ur answer from another site:

You are correct in that the main unit only have forward hemisphere sensing. The American F-35 chin mounted IRST may have expanded coverage below and to the side of the aircraft. The F-35 and MiG-35 (and others) have additional defensive IR sensors (some in binocular pairs) located around the aircraft to warn of approaching hostile weaponry. IRST is not technically the same as FLIR (forward looking infrared) as it may (or may not) create an IR image (a picture) of the target. In some ways, modern IRST can also double as LADAR (laser radar). Though IRST is no panacea in foul weather, neither is Stealth (when stealth gets wet its airframe/coatings ability to manipulate hostile radar mechanics degrades dramatically until it dries out). The Americans seem to favor FLIR-class for ground attack, the Russians traditionally IRST for IR-only attack or burning thru hostile radio jamming/deception on all manner of aerial targets (low flying penetrators to high-flying reconnaissance). Having said that, the MiG-27, Su-25 and other Russian attack/strike craft also uses FLIR for ground targets.

How they Russians have adapted these technologies IRST/FLIR (newer capabilities like Su-34) is uncertain however, Russian airpower simply annihilated Georgian ground forces in 2008.

The type of IR sensor and it location(s) is the best indicator for what the aircrafts main purpose is.

Now do remember the bold part that not only main but complete optronic system is utilised for detection in every aspect/direction...components if which also are present in the tail fins; LERX; wing tips...

 

[Tempest II]

500 km what !!! ...???

 

[Tempest II]

Jiangsu A-Star offerings

 

[Indus Falcon]

Lockheed Martin IRST 21 mounted on a centerline 480 Gallon fuel tank of an F18F. After modification can still hold 330 Gallons of fuel.

@Windjammer @MastanKhan @Khafee @Blue Marlin @Jango

@MaarKhoor

When you have time, kindly go through this article on IRST:

Infrared Search And Track Systems And The Future Of The US Fighter Force

 

[Blue Marlin]

Lockheed Martin IRST 21 mounted on a centerline 480 Gallon fuel tank of an F18F. After modification can still hold 330 Gallons of fuel.
View attachment 273510

View attachment 273513
View attachment 273515

@Windjammer @MastanKhan @Khafee @Blue Marlin @Jango

@MaarKhoor

When you have time, kindly go through this article on IRST:

Infrared Search And Track Systems And The Future Of The US Fighter Force

its quiet big for an irst. the pirate irst for the typhoon is quiet small

Request Rejected

 

[Indus Falcon]

its quiet big for an irst. the pirate irst for the typhoon is quiet small

Request Rejected

Bro it's mated to a fuel tank. Meaning, plug and play, no modifications to the aircraft is necessary. Secondly, should a user require the aircraft to carry it , you can mount the ISRST 21 on to the aircraft as well.

 

[MastanKhan]

Lockheed Martin IRST 21 mounted on a centerline 480 Gallon fuel tank of an F18F. After modification can still hold 330 Gallons of fuel.
View attachment 273510

View attachment 273513
View attachment 273515

@Windjammer @MastanKhan @Khafee @Blue Marlin @Jango

@MaarKhoor

When you have time, kindly go through this article on IRST:

Infrared Search And Track Systems And The Future Of The US Fighter Force

Hi,

Thank you fort that article----and that is what has surprised me----why the JF17 did not come with a dedicated IRST on its body---rather than the pod taking a hard point.

What do you think.

500 km what !!! ...???

Hi,

500 km---that is an outrageous distance----

keeping Chogy's point in mind that IRST cant give accurate results in different weather conditions hence cannot replace Radar. But as i mentioned before that a large IRST and a small size Radar (which is used in UAVs like we have in Falco) for limited scanning and tracking purpose, could become a deadly combination for ANTI STEALTH Purpose in clear weather conditions and high altitude interception of Stealth bombers.

i am a lil bit late here for posting my concept drawing, my apologise. People might laugh or make fun of it but it is just to show what i thought it has to be. Its not accurate and not well studied and i am not an engineer though but still i am presenting my IDEA here that i think is quite applicable.

Its an imaginary ANIT STEALTH THUNDER.
1 - Top view of it showing placement of LARGE IRST and Small AESA Radar.
2 - Side view, placement of radar and IRST shows how exactly it will increase the width of the aircraft nose.
3 - Front view - (worse details)
4 - Radar portion (lower nose) can be covered by normal composites used to make Radome while rest of the nose can be made of some light weight optical material like Fibreglass.
5- Sqn Marking

What u ppl say ?

Your picture not visible.

 

[Indus Falcon]

Hi,

Thank you fort that article----and that is what has surprised me----why the JF17 did not come with a dedicated IRST on its body---rather than the pod taking a hard point.

What do you think.

Well, some smart a$$ TT on this forum was arguing with you and me, that IRST range is less than Radar. This was true a decade ago. Not today.

Hypothetically speaking, when the JF-17 was being designed, maybe this was the assumption.

Now what can be done today? It can be fitted on to the aircraft, just like the J10. Or a less costly approach would be, to modify fuel tanks to carry it. Problem is, fuel tanks can be dumped, but one equipped with an IRST can't.

I honestly don't know IF Skyward-G by Selex, is available to the PAF, but if it is, then they should definitely go for it.
Request Rejected

Another thing they should lookin to is Brite Cloud.
Request Rejected

 

[MastanKhan]

Well, some smart a$$ TT on this forum was arguing with you and me, that IRST range is less than Radar. This was true a decade ago. Not today.

Hypothetically speaking, when the JF-17 was being designed, maybe this was the assumption.

Now what can be done today? It can be fitted on to the aircraft, just like the J10. Or a less costly approach would be, to modify fuel tanks to carry it. Problem is, fuel tanks can be dumped, but one equipped with an IRST can't.

I honestly don't know IF Skyward-G by Selex, is available to the PAF, but if it is, then they should definitely go for it.
Request Rejected





Another thing they should lookin to is Brite Cloud.
Request Rejected

Ho,

Or they can dump the machine gun and use the hard point for IRST and use the rest of the area for extra internal fuel---you know that in any major air battle since 1998 I believe---no guns have been fired in the air during a dog fight----.

The days of dog fights are done---. In the days of old---pilots were trained not to run away---now they are---use your weapons and bug out---.

 

[Indus Falcon]

Ho,

Or they can dump the machine gun and use the hard point for IRST and use the rest of the area for extra internal fuel---you know that in any major air battle since 1998 I believe---no guns have been fired in the air during a dog fight----.

The days of dog fights are done---. In the days of old---pilots were trained not to run away---now they are---use your weapons and bug out---.

and for CAS a podded gatling gun could be used, if required.

 

[Khafee]

Infrared Search And Track Systems And The Future Of The US Fighter Force

This article is a must for anyone trying to understand IRST, in today's context.

Secondly, I was reading a Boeing document on IRST for the F-18, when the DoD hadn't selected the IRST21 fuel pod, and it mentioned the same thing. IRST's range exceeds that of the APG-79.

 

[Blue Marlin]

Bro it's mated to a fuel tank. Meaning, plug and play, no modifications to the aircraft is necessary. Secondly, should a user require the aircraft to carry it , you can mount the ISRST 21 on to the aircraft as well.

View attachment 273527

ok then thats better. but its only if your going to use a fuel tank often though. in that cast the jf-17 is ideal then.

 

[MastanKhan]

Hypothetically speaking, when the JF-17 was being designed, maybe this was the assumption.


View attachment 273528




Another thing they should lookin to is Brite Cloud.
Request Rejected

But---then the J10 was being developed at the same time and it had IRST.