US awards Lockheed $329M to supply 55 Legion IRST pods for Taiwan F-16Vs

The US has awarded Lockheed Martin a $329 million contract to deliver 55 Legion infrared search‑and‑track pods to Taiwan for its F-16V fleet, providing an immediate anti‑stealth detection capability as cross‑strait tensions and advanced PLA air threats rise.

Discovered 2026-01-04T22:34:01.471584-08:00 | 2026-01-04T22:34:01.471584-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The contract is a near‑term, $329 million award to supply 55 Legion IRST pods, directly enhancing F-16V sensor capability to detect low‑observable aircraft and support Taiwan’s survivability against advanced Chinese platforms.
  • The move aligns with recent U.S. actions to accelerate F-16V production and deliveries to Taiwan and follows Lockheed’s sensor awards, underscoring a broader effort to speed fielding of air‑defense and ISR capabilities (see the U.S. push to accelerate production and delivery of F-16V fighters to Taiwan and Lockheed’s IRST system awards and production accelerations.)

Reported By

19fortyfive.com flight.com.gr govconwire.com FlightGlobal
Sources Tracked
4
First Seen
2026-01-04T22:34:01.471584-08:00
Latest Update
2026-01-05T20:44:11.903730-08:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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