Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received a contract from the Boeing Company to continue developing system requirements for the U.S. Air Force's F-15C IRST™ sensor system program. The IRST sensor system augments the aircrews' critical ability to track and engage targets in dense threat environments. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The passive IRST sensor system, used alone or in concert with existing F-15 sensors, provides the Warfighters unprecedented on-board situational awareness while detecting, identifying and engaging enemy targets at extended ranges. The IRST system's high-angle accuracy also provides the ability to track closely-spaced targets at maximum ranges. This information can be used alone or combined with other sensor data to further enhance the pilot's situational awareness.

"Continuation of this contract solidifies Lockheed Martin and Boeing's partnership to provide first-to-see, first-to-shoot capability across the services," said Ken Fuhr, fixed-wing program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Already in development for the U.S. Navy's F/A-18EF aircraft, the IRST sensor system will increase the lethality and survivability of the U.S. Air Force's F-15C fleet by enabling passive detection and tracking of airborne targets."

Lockheed Martin is the only U.S. company with an active IRST production line delivering units to equip international variants of the F-15. A mature and proven technology, IRST sensor systems first equipped F-14D AN/AAS-42 aircraft aboard U.S. carriers, and has accumulated over 200,000 flight hours.