LightWorks Optical Systems has been awarded a second contract from Lockheed Martin for the production of specialised Infrared Focus Assemblies integral to the Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor system for the F-15. The contract includes an option to add up to 80 more optical assemblies through 2013.
This second infrared Focus Assembly award represents more than $15 million, and together with a series of other related contract awards, totals over $42 million in booked commitments associated with a US Foreign Military Sales Contract.
‘We are very pleased to again be working with Lockheed Martin on this significant foreign military sales contract,’ said LightWorks Optical System’s general manger, Andrew Riser. ‘We have added new skilled personnel to accommodate the aggressive production schedule, with new additions anticipated over the next couple of years. Especially gratifying is our collaboration with Lockheed Martin to re-qualify an improved ultra-durable coating for the domes that will extend the life-cycle of the IRST optics.’
Lockheed Martin’s IRST system is used on military aircraft to detect and track enemy objects which emit infrared radiation, such as jet aircraft and helicopters, without exposing themselves to detection. IRST can also be used as an alternative to radar-based search and track functions, when external radar is being used to vector them onto a target.
Deliveries of the IRST optical assemblies associated with this contract began in late 2012 and are expected to extend into early 2017.
