Air Force Awards Lockheed $329M IRST FMS Contract

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract with a ceiling value of $328.5 million to support the production of infrared sensing and navigation hardware for Taiwan under the foreign military sales program.

What Does the Lockheed IRST Contract Cover?

The sole-source contract supports Infrared Search and Track, Sniper, and Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night systems, the Department of War said Wednesday, funding the procurement and delivery of 55 Legion enhanced sensor IRST pods, along with associated processors and containers, to meet an urgent operational requirement of the Taiwan Air Force. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with completion expected by June 30, 2031. FMS funds totaling $157.3 million were obligated at the time of award.

How Does the Contract Fit Into Lockheed’s IRST Portfolio?

Lockheed’s passive infrared sensing systems are used across the U.S. and allied fighter fleets. The Legion variant of IRST provides long-range, passive detection and tracking of airborne threats in contested or electronically degraded environments.

Lockheed previously secured multiple contracts covering IRST production and navigation pods for Air Force and Navy platforms.

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