Boeing to provide F-15 Legion Pods

Boeing to provide F-15 Legion Pods

By Dario Leone
Sep 6 2018
Share this article

The contract provides for engineering, manufacturing, and development, production, integration, testing and deployment of F-15 Legion Pod IRST Pods

Boeing has been awarded a $208 million contract to supply F-15 Legion Pod infrared search-and-track (IRST) pods.

This sole-source acquisition is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2020.

The Pentagon announced under Release No: CR-164-18 that the contract provides for engineering, manufacturing, and development, production, integration, testing and deployment of F-15 Legion Pod IRST Pods.

“Legion Pod gives the F-15 the ability to search for and track targets in radar-denied environments,” says Steve Parker, vice-president F-15 Programs at Global Strike, Boeing Military Aircraft.

Although a USAF platform and upgrade programme, the choice for the F-15C IRST system has been left to Boeing. IRST enables the host aircraft to acquire and track airborne targets through the heat generated by the jet engine and through aerodynamic heating of the airframe as it travels through the atmosphere. Being a passive system, the target aircraft does not know that it is being tracked.

The pod is mounted on the centreline of the jet – mirroring what the Super Hornet Block III is doing – and the IRST21 long-wave infrared sensor being used is the same as the Navy version.

Lockheed Martin will produce more than 130 systems, which will be delivered for aircraft integration. Equipped with the company’s IRST21 infrared sensor and advanced data processing capabilities, Legion Pod provides long-range detection and tracking of airborne threats in radar-denied environments.

“With a rapid delivery schedule and unmatched sensing capabilities, Legion Pod will immediately enhance our warfighters’ operations and address a passive attack capability gap,” said Paul Lemmo, vice president of Fire Control/Special Operations Forces Contractor Logistics Support Services at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Our proven partnerships with Boeing, including on our U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F IRST21 and international F-15 IRST products, will ensure successful execution of the F-15C Legion Pod program for the U.S. Air Force.”

Boeing to provide F-15 Legion Pods
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. F-15C Eagle 144th Fighter Wing, 194th Fighter Squadron, CA/80-004 – California Air National Guard – Fresno ANG Base, CA – 2016

Photo credit: Lockheed Martin

Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.



    Share this article
    Back to top
    My Agile Privacy
    This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate.
    Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices