The $270 million figure refers to a U.S. Air Force contract that Lockheed Martin announced on January 22, 2025, to integrate an Infrared Defensive System (IRDS) on the F-22 Raptor. Lockheed describes the F-22 system as distributed, embedded TacIRST sensors. The announcement gives a contract value and integration scope—not a per-aircraft price, a published performance result, or a schedule for equipping the fleet.
What the $270 million F-22 upgrade means
Lockheed Martin said it had received a $270 million Air Force contract to integrate infrared defensive sensors on the F-22. The company calls the system the Infrared Defensive System, or IRDS, and describes its F-22 implementation as a distributed set of embedded TacIRST sensors. Lockheed Martin’s January 22, 2025 announcement does not disclose a per-aircraft cost or quantify what the system can detect or how well it performs.
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So “USAF F-22 Raptors get $270 million infrared sensor upgrade” is shorthand for a contract to integrate the system, not evidence that $270 million buys one sensor suite per aircraft or that the upgrade has already been installed across the fleet.
How the contract differs from F-22 budget requests
The $270 million contract should not be confused with broader F-22 funding requests in the FY2025 President’s Budget. A congressional hearing record reproducing those requests describes different funding categories and modernization work. A budget request is not the same thing as a specific contract award.
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| Figure | What it represents | Connection to IRDS |
|---|---|---|
| $270 million | Contract value reported by Lockheed Martin in January 2025 for integration of infrared defensive sensors on the F-22. | The announced IRDS integration contract; not a disclosed per-aircraft price. |
| $768.6 million | FY2025 President’s Budget request for F-22 research, development, test and evaluation, reproduced in the 2024 congressional hearing record. | The record says this funding begins IRDS Gen III integration while supporting wider F-22 modernization. It is a budget request, not the $270 million contract value. |
| $934.2 million | FY2025 President’s Budget procurement request for F-22 items, reproduced in the 2024 congressional hearing record. | The record cites items including Mode 5 and Low-Drag Tanks and Pylons kits; it does not identify this as IRDS funding. |
The budget figures and descriptions appear in the congressional hearing record. They provide budget context for modernization, but they do not establish how much of either request was ultimately appropriated or spent.
IRDS and other F-22 infrared efforts are not interchangeable
IRDS is described as a defensive system associated with missile-launch detection. A separate infrared search and track (IRST) effort concerns passive tracking and targeting. The 2026 USAF and USSF Almanac reports that FY2026 launches IR defensive system upgrades for missile-launch detection, and separately notes that IR search-and-track pods were undergoing flight testing at Edwards. These are related infrared modernization efforts, but the Almanac does not equate the pods with the embedded IRDS integration.
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The distinction matters when interpreting status. A budget reference, a contract for integration, flight testing of a related pod effort, and installation on operational aircraft describe different phases or systems. The 2026 USAF and USSF Almanac does not establish that IRDS has been fielded across the F-22 fleet.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What has not been publicly specified
The cited public descriptions do not state the number or placement of sensors, infrared bands, detection range, field of view, target classes, integration milestones, aircraft-by-aircraft installation schedule, or operational effectiveness. They also do not provide a complete account of current contract obligations or execution status. Those details should not be inferred from another aircraft’s infrared system or from the contract’s dollar value.
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What Lockheed Martin says about the upgrade
Lockheed executives framed the integration as part of F-22 modernization. These are contractor statements, not independent Air Force performance assessments.
Quick Recap
- Hank Tucker, Lockheed Martin vice president of Missions Systems, said: “We understand the need for advanced and versatile infrared systems like IRDS that will make pilots’ missions more survivable and lethal against current and future adversaries,”
- Tucker also said: “We’re committed to supporting the Air Force through continuous innovation of capabilities to deter and defeat evolving threats.”
- Justin Taylor, Lockheed Martin vice president of the F-22 program, said: “Lockheed Martin is proud to continue partnering with the Air Force on essential modernization efforts for the Raptor, leveraging our expertise in 5th Generation aircraft and air dominance systems to integrate capabilities that ensure uninterrupted U.S. air superiority today and into the future.”
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