RFDesign: First Eurofighter with passive infrared search and track delivered to Italian Air Force

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First Eurofighter with passive infrared search and track delivered to Italian Air Force

The first Eurofighter Typhoon with an on-board Pirate infrared search and track (IRST) has been delivered to Italian Aeronautica Militare. The aircraft is part of the Tranche 1 batch 5 of the international Eurofighter program and operates from the Grosseto base in Tuscany. Designed and produced by Galileo Avionica, the Pirate performs the same tasks of radar, but operates in a totally passive mode, without electromagnetic radiation, by detecting heat emanating from various targets. This is a crucial feature that enhances tactical superiority because it makes detection of the aircraft more difficult. Leveraging state-of-the-art technologies, the Pirate combines the capabilities of IRST and forward-looking infrared (FLIR). The Pirate is compact so that the electronics can be installed inside the aircraft, while the search-head sensor emerges at the left side of the nose, in front of the windshield.