USAF wants its IRST pod to have data sharing capability between 4th & 5th gen. fighters

H/T to Milaerospace. In a sources-sought notice published on Mar. 8, the U.S. Air Force’s Life Cycle Management Center announced that the infrared search and track (IRST) pod for the F-15C must have a “5th to 4th Gen Gateway” capability.

Photo: Lockheed Martin

A key requirement for the pod is that it must talk to the F-22’s Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL) and the F-35’s Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) via Link-16 and create a “Common Tactical Picture (CTP).”