TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Lockheed Martin will supply advanced sensors for Taiwan’s F-16s under a US$329 million (NT$10.27 billion) government contract, enhancing their ability to monitor Chinese military aircraft.
The Pentagon announced on Dec. 31 that Lockheed Martin had been awarded the contract to procure and deliver 55 IRST21 Legion-ES infrared search and track systems to meet the Taiwan Air Force’s “urgent operational need,” per CNA. Lockheed's Patrick McKenzie discussed the contract and related technology at the Warfare Symposium in Colorado on Monday, per Axios.
McKenzie explained, “If you are flying through the air, you're creating heat through skin friction, and this sensor will detect and be able to track that heat." He added, "It'll improve some situational awareness, increase reaction time, and then support survivability in those contested environments."
According to data from the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone 3,075 times in 2024.
The IRST21 Legion-ES is an advanced airborne infrared search-and-track system that uses passive infrared sensing to complement radar and detect targets at extended ranges. It enables earlier detection of threats such as enemy aircraft, drones, and missiles while providing targeting data to weapons systems.
Unlike radar, IRST systems do not emit signals but instead passively receive infrared radiation generated by engine exhaust, airframe heat, and friction with the air. This allows fighters to detect enemy aircraft, including stealth jets, at long range without activating radar or revealing their own position.
