Fighter Aircraft IRST Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

Global Fighter Aircraft IRST Market Trends and Insights

Rising Demand for Passive Detection Against Stealth Threats

Low-observable fighters such as China’s J-20 and Russia’s Su-57 limit radar effectiveness, so air forces pivot toward passive infrared search and track systems that do not reveal an electromagnetic signature. The US Navy’s Initial Operational Capability declaration for F/A-18 IRST Block II in November 2024 underscores this doctrinal shift despite reliability issues that required multiple pod restarts during testing.^{[1]InsideDefense Staff, “IRST Block II Reaches IOC,” InsideDefense, insidedefense.com} Retrofitting legacy 4th-generation fleets and integrating distributed aperture sensors on next-generation jets sustain multiyear procurement pipelines. Because IRST imposes no emissions, it becomes pivotal for survival in contested electronic-warfare environments, driving continuous investments across major programs and export bids. That imperative elevates the fighter aircraft IRST market as nations seek stealth-countering capabilities without compromising platform visibility.

Global Fighter-Fleet Life-Extension and Upgrade Programs

Thousands of aging fighters are moving through 15- to 20-year service-life extensions, and IRST now sits near the top of every avionics upgrade list. Leonardo’s Skyward IRST on Top Aces’ F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighter, integrated in September 2024, shows how even contracted training providers pursue passive detection to stress 5th-generation students. Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3, Gripen E, and India’s Su-30 MKI MAKE-II dual-band program echo the trend. Retrofit kits run USD 2-5 million per jet versus USD 80-120 million for a new aircraft, so budget-constrained air arms see an attractive cost-benefit path. Because upgrade cycles tie into depot visits, suppliers enjoy predictable long-run spares and sustainment revenue, which underpins steady fighter aircraft IRST market growth.

Expansion of 5th-Generation Export Programs Requiring IRST as Baseline

Export buyers now insist on IRST because it levels the playing field with Russian and Chinese offerings. The F-35’s Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System sets the benchmark, and any future F-22 export proposal will carry a next-generation IRST now in Lockheed Martin development. Customers value the sensor’s silent tracking in GPS-denied or jammed settings. As Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific states modernize, IRST becomes a purchase differentiator, nudging suppliers to bundle the technology in standard packages and opening licensed-production channels for allies.

AI-Enabled Sensor Fusion Improving Detection and False-Alarm Rates

Machine learning (ML) algorithms elevate IRST from situational-awareness aid to primary targeting source. Models that filter clutter push classification accuracy beyond 95% in ideal conditions. Boeing’s F-47 NGAD demonstrator, unveiled in March 2025, places AI fusion at the system core so a single pilot or remote operator can manage multi-band cues without overload. Processing electronics, therefore, clocks the highest component growth as graphics processors and field-programmable arrays migrate into conduction-cooled boards sized for fighter bays. Suppliers that master low-latency fusion claim a prime competitive edge.

High Development and Integration Cost Per Aircraft

End-to-end IRST integration can add USD 2-8 million per fighter, straining budgets of smaller air forces that cannot leverage large production lots. The F/A-18 Block II program saw overruns that required supplemental US congressional funding, illustrating how test-flight expansions and software revisions inflate life-cycle costs. International customers also shoulder training, spares, and depot-level sustainment, pushing small-fleet outlays above USD 50 million. These economics prompt some procurement offices to defer IRST in favor of less expensive radar refresh or electronic warfare pods, slowing near-term orders even when doctrinal need is clear. The expenditure hurdle, therefore, tempers expansion of the fighter aircraft IRST market outside tier-one defense budgets.

Cryocooler Reliability Issues Under Sustained High-G Maneuvers

Fighter-grade cryocoolers show 20-30% failure rates during protracted 9G sorties because flexure bearings and clearance seals fatigue under rapid pressure cycling.^{[2]R.G. Ross, “Cryocooler Reliability Issues,” sciencedirect.com} Mean time to failure ranges from 2,500 to 8,000 hours, far below space-rated units. Each removal disrupts sortie generation and increases life-cycle cost, so air forces demand redundant cooling loops or hardened designs, adding weight and complexity.

Segment Analysis

By Fighter Generation: 5th-Generation Dominance, 6th-Generation Acceleration

5th-generation jets owned 42.47% of the fighter aircraft IRST market share in 2024 as F-35 global deliveries and F-22 upgrades cemented demand. 6th-generation projects led by NGAD and Tempest show a 9.87% CAGR to 2030, reflecting design blueprints that embed multi-spectral apertures from day one.

Legacy 4th-generation fighters still form the numerical backbone of global fleets, so retrofit programs keep volume steady. Meanwhile, 4.5th-generation refresh packages bridge capability gaps by adding podded or semi-flush IRST options at a fraction of new-build cost. Because 6th-generation roadmaps call for manned–unmanned teaming, sensor standards will likely propagate into drone wingmen, multiplying future installed bases.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Sensor Technology: Scanning Heads Prevail, Staring Arrays Climb

Scanning mechanisms captured 52.87% of the fighter aircraft IRST market size in 2024 thanks to their proven gimbal coverage and long-range acuity. Staring arrays, advancing at 7.28% CAGR, attract interest for solid-state resilience and zero-maintenance bearings under cyclic 9G loads.

Recent focal-plane manufacturing advances deliver larger formats, allowing staring systems to challenge scanning for wide-area surveillance while trimming part counts that historically drove sustainment expense. As reliability metrics tighten, the fighter aircraft IRST market advantages suppliers who can balance detection range with mechanical simplicity.

By Wavelength Band: LWIR Leads, Dual-Band Gains Favor

Long-wave infrared systems accounted for 53.84% of the fighter aircraft IRST market size in 2024, thanks to their high humidity tolerance over maritime environments.^{[3]Army Recognition Editorial Team, “IRIS-T Block II Contract,” armyrecognition.com} Dual-band payloads climb at 9.2% CAGR as forces demand spectral cross-checks to defeat new flare formulas.

Manufacturing advances have narrowed the cost gap, so European and Asian tenders now include dual-band readiness clauses. Suppliers who package two focal-plane stacks within legacy volume constraints gain an inside track on future awards.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Component: Processing Electronics Become the Growth Engine

Scanning head assemblies still delivered 43.83% revenue in 2024, yet processing electronics exhibit a robust 6.55% CAGR, mirroring the surge of AI-driven classification software that demands edge-compute horsepower.

Field-programmable gate arrays and GPU-based accelerators pack into conduction-cooled modules qualified to MIL-STD-810, enabling real-time multi-sensor fusion without bloating weight budgets. Vendors that co-design optics and processors lock in higher content per tail, reinforcing competitive barriers within the fighter aircraft IRST market.

Geography Analysis

North America maintained 36.75% of the fighter aircraft IRST market share in 2024 through sustained F-22, F/A-18, and forthcoming NGAD investments that embed passive sensors from program inception.^{[4]Defense Post Staff, “F-22 IRST Contract Award,” thedefensepost.com} Fleet refresh cycles and mission-package upgrades ensure a predictable pipeline even as export controls restrict technology diffusion, anchoring the regional revenue base for incumbent primes.

Asia-Pacific shows a 7.98% CAGR outlook, the fastest region, buoyed by India’s HAL-BEL dual-band prototype flights, Japan’s F-35 acquisitions, and South Korea’s KF-21 roadmap. Indigenous content rules compel local assembly and subsystem co-development, broadening the supplier map while expanding the overall fighter aircraft IRST market opportunity.

European programs such as Eurofighter Tranche 4 and the GCAP collaboration sustain steady demand by specifying distributed infrared apertures alongside electronic-warfare suites. Although aggregate spending lags in the US, multinational frameworks streamline certification across partner nations, keeping the fighter aircraft IRST market cohesive and open to shared upgrades over the long term.