FLIR & IRST: What is the difference?

FLIR and IRST share the same technology but they fulfill radically different requirements and have very different functions.
Let's learn how!
Enjoy!

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

Can you tell the difference between an FLIR and an IRST? Subscribe, hit the bell and support me on Patreon ! www.patreon.com/Millennium7

[@trumanhw]

Hey Gus ... you know I'm a fan. But you didn't explain the difference between IRST and FLIR I hope you'll also explain how those differ from EOTS and SAR vs the F-14 camera ... strengths and weaknesses, COMPARATIVELY my friend!! :)

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

@@trumanhw I mean... wasn't it clear from the video?

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

A FLIR produces images, and IRST can produce images, but it is used mainly to produce tracks like radar tracks. The F-35 EOTS is an IRST in a different package, just in a box rather than a ball.

[@Native_love]

Not really clear from the video. Needs a clearer description about the differences.

[@tanzidane]

Remember, the stuff discussed here are not easily found any where else on KZbin

[@unclejoeoakland]

It sure ain't

[@possiblyadickhead6653]

the channel i was looking for but never found. Informative and not biased and no nationalistic bs. This is gold. Definitely supped and will share your channel where ever fit.

[@prasoonshrestha3833]

EXACTLY!

[@gordonlawrence1448]

PIRATE on the Typhoon now has a range in excess of 100km in ideal conditions. It was 90km before the update.

[@Austin-cx2xe]

LOL. That's funny.

[@Austin-cx2xe]

The F-35 which has a physically smaller sensor showed its ability to detect ICBM launches from 600 miles away

[@FlightLevel]

Nice channel and good/intersting explanations, congrats!

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

My pleasure!

[@SolidSnakePlissken108]

Where has this channel been all my life ? Superb !

[@bharatsharma3233]

Good video, thanks. And looking back at history ... I believe the F-14A had IRST while the F-14B got a TVC due to a not-so-good performance at the time. Then came the Soviet fighters with IRST and we now have modern jets using integrated IRST / FLIR pods. Considerably increases the Situational Awareness for the pilot. Interesting to see how the technology evolved by using more "exotic" compounds ;)

[@Lost_Hwasal]

Someone smarter than me once put radar very elegantly. If you put two guys in a pitch black room, each with a flashlight and a handgun, and tell them to kill each other. Who loses? The guy who turns on his flashlight first. Radar is extremely useful but that simplified situation is very memorable for me.

[@guttormurthorfinnsson8758]

love this men, like Plato.

[@MarioSeoane]

Actually, the US Navy, with a couple of super hornets carrying IRST21 can geo-locate targets by triangulation.

[@prasoonshrestha3833]

Interesting! Has IRST21 been fielded yet?

[@petersellers9219]

Brilliant explanations.

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

Glad you think so!

[@rubenpizarro4061]

Great!

[@aniruddhakashyap6906]

Nice video, can you also do one on EOTS that is used in fighter jets like F-35?

[@Trinkfass]

Nice Thank you :)

[@maximilliancunningham6091]

Thanks!

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

Thank you very much!

[@abunura2013]

brilliant

[@NATObait]

Can you please advise why Rafale F3R has removed IRST ,was it not very good, took to much energy etc I know they either use a targeting pod or data from loaded IR Mica but it just seems odd and only 45 pods on order? Maybe a new version will arrive on F4 version?

[@brodieboy3]

It seems like most modern fighters are equipped with targeting pods - Rafael's Litening pod & LM's Sniper pod seeming to be the big 2 with Raytheon also having one and Northrop producing a modified Litening pod. Most of these targeting pods are billed as FLIR systems, but often combine laser range finders and electro-optical sensors, etc. so they can provide ISR capabilities in addition to targeting functions. So my question is whether these multi-function targeting pods can provide an IRST capability in addition to FLIR / ISR/ targeting capabilities?. As you note, passive IRST detection capabilities are seemingly becoming more important as radar emissions can be detected so fighters are often working in packs where the fighters further away use their long range - and somewhat more stealthy - aesa radars to guide (via stealthy and hopefully secure network communications) the forward flying fighters who are using passive detection like IRST/ FLIR. So, to the extent that IRST is different/ better than FLIR for scanning for stealthy or non-stealthy enemy fighters emitting IR signatures - can these multi-function high end targeting pods be configured to provide both IRST & FLIR capabilities? Obviously, some modern fighters have integrated IRST sensors, but lots of older platforms don't. So countries looking to upgrade and keep their older fighters relevant & capable will be looking for podded solutions that don't occupy all the available pylons - which are obviously needed for fuel & weapons & EW ( like Saab's Arexis EW pod), etc. As part of the Block III upgrades for the f-18 Super Hornet, an IRST sensor will be added to a large centerline drop tank, but then it becomes a very expensive drop tank. Thus my thought of integrating the seemingly related IRST & FLIR functions in a single, relatively light weight & aerodynamic targeting pod (as compared to a fuel drop tank) - or maybe combining the IRST function w/ an EW pod like Saab has produced. Since IRST and FLIR seem so related, I'd think that it shouldn't be that difficult to combine these 2 functions in a targeting pod. Still, if it was easy/ simple to do, my guess is that it would have already been done and I'm unaware of these 2 functions coexisting in any of the current targeting pods. But again, that's why I'm asking the question. Is this something that currently exists? or something that you think Rafael, LM, Northrop, Leonardo, Saab etc are working on? As always, your thoughts and insights are appreciated.

[@andrewmoore7022]

Is the only platform I know of that combines the two is LM's EOTS on the F-35.

[@NATObait]

Great post by you. But do you know why Rafale F3R deleted it's IRST and is either reliant on IR Mica to give limited info ( presumably it will degrade the seeker faster) or fit a targeting pod?

[@user-sq6xv9yn3d]

Nice

[@prasoonshrestha3833]

About Legion-Pods?? USAF F-15Cs and F-16s are suppose to field them. Are their range better than Grippen's IRST!?

[@larsbkurin1740]

Shouldn't IRTS be 360 ​​degrees and integrated with defense against SAM and MANPADS? Thanks for an interesting channel.

[@user-gh1fr6uq7f]

Great

[@watcher63034]

Detecting a missile or rocket's thermal signature at 90 km with no rain , fog, or clouds is entirely different from detecting a subsonic aircraft coming head on during rain, fog, or cloud cover. For one thing, the image will not track it as it doesn't move horizontally or vertically in relation to the IRST. It is a great and necessary tool for finding aircraft stealthily, but in no way competes with radar, especially radar that can scan while changing frequencies using AESA technologies like the APG 85 or such. The APG85 can scan 20 targets in less than 5 seconds at a range of over 150 kilometers an under 5 seconds with a low probability of intercept.

[@shi01]

True, but IRST is mainly meant for Air to Air engagment at altitude. Once you fly over 20'000ft you don't have that many clouds anymore, over 30'000ft you have hardly any weather that can "block" an IRST. Sure it can also be used to find targets a low altitude or on the ground, but there you will encounter limitations. But that's actually not that different with Radar. Weather can also severly limit radar range. Ground targets that don't have an above average RCS are still hard to detect even with the newest radars because the ground itself creates so much return noise.

[@edjo3430]

I must study this technology much more. My Friend, can the DAS system on F35 be used to guide weapons to the target? or detect, and engage in a way like the EOTS on F35?

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

in short, yes.

[@exnexe]

Hi, I'm wondering if you can help me understand how thermal video is created. You have thermal imaging sensor, is the video output only from this, or is it a composite of a thermal sensor and visible light camera or other sensors? I've seen ghosting in some thermal videos, like the thermal image is hanging over the rest of the video, not quite locked in with the video. is this a common issue?

[@watcher63034]

Infrared can be blocked by ground targets very easily. Not really if they move, but hiding or staying still is not hard. What about infrared lights or lasers to "blind" a sensor?

[@derche4005]

What about the Lantern pod vs IRst?

[@matteo_oz3557]

Ciao Millenium, volevo porti una considerazione su questo sistema, specialmente l'irst. Sappiamo bene quali sono le capacità dei sistemi flir nell'ambito della guerra terrestre in innumerevoli scenari di guerra già visti, ma nel caso di una guerra aerea con schieramenti di aerei che si fronteggiano l'un l'altro, quanto potrebbero essere risolutivi i sistemi irst? Da come mi sembra di aver capito l'irst potrebbe dare al pilota 2 vantaggi sostanziali: la discriminazione tra un falso bersaglio emanato da dei disturbi radar e un reale bersaglio identificabile sia dalla sua traccia radar che da quella IF visualizzabili esattamente nella stessa posizione nello spazio, sulla base di questo potrebbe essere inoltre possibile identificare anche aerei stealth che risultano appunto poco visibili ai radar, punto 2 è invece la capacità di conoscere in anticipo se il nemico ha lanciato o meno dei missili verso di te e di conseguenza effettuare manovre evasive e contro jamming non appena il missile va in Pitbull. Ma se due schieramenti aerei armati allo stesso modo con sistemi flir o irst si scontrassero, non finirebbero per lanciarsi nello stesso momento missili uno contro l'altro ed evitandoli ciascuno con manovre evasive rendendo l'attacco un inutile spreco di armi? Mi ricorderebbe un po il modo di combattere delle guerre napoleoniche in cui i due eserciti usano esattamente lo stesso metodo di combattimento e si sparano l'uno di fronte all'altro. Inoltre se il sistema IRST non permette un esatta geolocalizzazione dei bersagli e quindi il targeting di essi se non utilizzando un sistema laser, non si renderebbe vana la sua "furtività"? Che tra l'altro risulterebbe ancora più facile rispetto ai sistemi radar intercettare l'origine del fascio laser. Esistono dei sistemi che una volta individuate le fonti infrarosse, identificati i bersagli e verificato che essi ci stiano puntando i laser contro, siano in grado di "jammare" tali sistemi? Magari non tanto il sistema laser quanto piuttosto il puntatore infrarosso.

[@MTMILITIAMAN7.62]

Shouldn't it be possible for modern planes with data link to share IRST information about a threat and triangulate its distance while remaining passive?

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

Yes it is becoming increasingly common

[@trumanhw]

I know radar is the inverse cube Wouldn't IR be the inverse-square..?

[@spartan-s013]

great video but at 3:46 you wrote there that this IRST is on IAF Typhoon....well IAF does NOT operate Typhoons

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

IAF = Italian Air Force

[@spartan-s013]

@@Millennium7HistoryTech ah yes, that's true, i don't know why i didn't connect it, i was thinking about Indian and Israeli Air Force, but not Italian. Sorry about that

[@ceciliaieav]

Why do your youtube transcripts recognize the language spoken in English as Italian?

[@adafridi]

Since you seem so legit i have a question why Russian planes are often quite big and heavy like Su-35? They don't seem much agile either for example compare su-35 to rafale. Kindly do a detailed comparsion of Russian and western planes. I've always wondered how both will compete in modern warfare. 4++ generation aircrafts.

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

The Flanker family is big because they were designed to carry a lot of fuel internally and leave they pylons available for weapons. Russians need long ranges.

[@adafridi]

@@Millennium7HistoryTech thank you for the response. A detailed video about comparison between western fighters and Russian fighters would be much appreciated. Thanks again.

[@arbelico2]

Greetings . The default language of the KZbin translator is set to " Italian " and subtitles are almost impossible to " understand " . Ciao .

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

Noted

[@hrvojemikulcic7074]

FLIR se vise koristi kroz maglu i oblake poput rengena na niskim visinama?

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

Yes of course. Infrared has a twofold advantage: it is emitted by warm bodies, even at night and it is less sensitive to the atmospheric disturbances. The lower the longer the wavelength the better the penetration. On the down side the longer the wavelength the fuzzier the image.

[@a11u45]

How does the Skward G compare to the IRST 21?

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

I don't know. The actual performances are a closed guarded secret. I mention the Skyward G in that context because this is what some rather trustworthy press sources say. There is no way I can really check myself. Sorry for not being of help.

[@fawzierekat4389]

how does the IRST function in details?

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

It depends from the level of details that you may want. Let's say that modern IRSTs are used to produce a view of the tactical situation similar to what is produced by the onboard radar. Obviously ranges and target infos are different from the radar, as explained in the video.

[@liammarra4003]

"This is not a joke" Haha i dont know, amigo...

[@ViceCoin]

Both are only useful in clear weather, no clouds, rain, dust.

[@humphreybumblecuck5151]

Love the channel but for the love of god the intro music is way too loud

[@Millennium7HistoryTech]

Sorry, it is much better in more recent videos

[@sshray1115]

1:17

[@ArnoA0230]

Hello, thanks for this. You forget to mention that Rafale has an irst couple with a caméra and a laser range finder meaning it can fire at a stealth plane in passive mode or if needed with visual id and if needed with a range. I think eurofigthter also has irst. I dont know about the coupled Finder and tv caméra.

[@NATObait]

F22 also hides it's exhaust gas emissions so is harder to detect with IR so giving it a few extra miles to see a target and react appropriately. Obviously attempting to measure with a laser gives a target advanced warning . Some talk of triangulation of targets by either two or more units or advanced position details of host platform aircraft, may give target position and therefore enable the launch of missiles against that track.

[@vicente09a-g92]

Plase add english and spanish subtitles.

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

Tío, haz el esfuerzo de aprender inglés. Se nota que el hombre no es su idioma materno y sin embargo es capaz de hacer el video en inglés.

[@vicente09a-g92]

@@andresmartinezramos7513 puede usar Google traductor.

[@maximilliancunningham6091]

I'm curious about your background in real life, you obviously have an advanced Engineering background, and maybe teaching creds ?

[@user-ni2io9in1g]

Su-27 ＆MiG−29 IRST

[@ViceCoin]

At visual range, emissions are not important.

[@josiasmagalhaes2240]

TRADUZA EM PORTUGUÊS!

[@azls73]

FLIR cannot detect you if you carry ice cube put inside vest pocket !! ahakaksssss

[@riskinhos]

F-22 has no IRST.

[@brianmckerrow817]

If its military history, please go over the missile attack on Libya before the Rafale attacks and after. After all history is history. Let's see the colour of war.

[@AgentOffice]

Like police helicopter

[@RicardoMrMendes]

Eurocanards and f 35 have superior infrared systeams. Better quality

[@RicardoMrMendes]

And f 22 raptor has better radar passive das sensors .

[@EDDIXspider]

Come on, i love your channel but Gripen,Gripen . 100% Russian IRST,FLIR is better. Simply LOGIC and PRIORITY ,they are the one who will fight against stealth.

[@lastpokemon]

the FLIR video you showed is from a video game not Apache