Bratva
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No IRST integrated till the block 60,
I'm Little confused here,, because there is so much emphasis being given to IRST to be put on JF-17 and when i heard F-16 Blk 52 came without it,,, it sounds weird to me, Can't Pakistan Requested for IRST with F-16's.
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Here is a Report of IRST being tested on F-16 in 1996-97
LOCKHEED MARTIN is building an infra-red search-and-track (IRST) sensor pod for flight demonstration on its F-16 in April-May 1997.
The company sees a substantial export market for the sensor, a podded version of the AAS-42 IRST in service since 1994 on US Navy Grumman F-14Ds. It has been cleared to offer the system to Japan for a McDonnell Douglas F-15 upgrade.
The IRST is a long-wavelength infra-red sensor which can produce a thermal image for display in the cockpit and target data for the mission computer. Compared with a radar, the passive sensor can scan a larger volume at longer range and with higher resolution.
Lockheed Martin Electronic Systems says that interest centres on the ability to launch the Hughes AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile with the radar off. The missile would be launched at a detected target and tracked by the passive IRST, with mid-course updates provided via the radar in low-probability-of-intercept mode, and active-radar terminal guidance.
The Orlando, Florida-based company says that combat analyses have indicated that F-16s with an IRST would have an improved loss-exchange ratio against the Sukhoi Su-27 by a factor of 2.3, and against the improved Sukhoi Su-35, which has a reduced radar cross-section, by almost 3.5.
Additionally, customers are interested in using the IRST for "non-hostile" cross-border surveillance, and as an alternative to acquiring expensive airborne early-warning aircraft, Lockheed Martin says. Tests are being conducted of its ability to track tactical ballistic missiles.
Lockheed Martin building F-16 IRST-08/05/1996-Flight International