Super Hornet Block II - IRST mounted in a fuel tank

According to the following link from Boeing, in future Super Hornet is
gonna receive an Infra-Red Search and Track device to be built in a
standard 480 US Gallon fuel tank. The idea of the device looks very
interesting:

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/...70702a_nr.html

The sensor-fusion in combat jets nowadays becomes impressing - with
separate helmet-mounted sights for each crew member and multi-sensor
detection they really keep up with what was seen before only in attack
helicopters...

Best regards,
Jacek

they are using the tank for testing.....please read again and below
Boeing will conduct a prototype flight demonstration in the first quarter of 2008, using a modified 480-gallon centerline fuel tank to house the IRST system. The modified fuel tank provides a cost effective, software-only integration approach, requiring no structural or wiring changes to the aircraft. This supports potential integration of IRST on existing and future F/A-18E/F/G aircraft.

wrote in message oups.com...
According to the following link from Boeing, in future Super Hornet is
gonna receive an Infra-Red Search and Track device to be built in a
standard 480 US Gallon fuel tank. The idea of the device looks very
interesting:

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/...70702a_nr.html

The sensor-fusion in combat jets nowadays becomes impressing - with
separate helmet-mounted sights for each crew member and multi-sensor
detection they really keep up with what was seen before only in attack
helicopters...

Best regards,
Jacek

wrote:
According to the following link from Boeing, in future Super Hornet is
gonna receive an Infra-Red Search and Track device to be built in a
standard 480 US Gallon fuel tank. The idea of the device looks very
interesting:

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/...70702a_nr.html

Don't you mean a sub-standard 350 gallon fuel tank?

-HJC

Yeah, they wrote: "Boeing will conduct a PROTOTYPE flight
demonstration in the first quarter of 2008, using a modified 480-
gallon centerline fuel tank to house the IRST system."

So I assume they use the bigger, F/A-18E/F tank for tests (not a 330-
gallon tank used on F/A-18A...D - sorry, but I neither have any idea
about the 350-gallon one, nor it is mentioned in the text).

But also - later on: "The PRODUCTION system will contain more than 330
gallons of fuel in addition to providing the IRST capability."

That makes me think the idea is a bit similar to ARS ("buddy refueling
store"), with a device placed inside a tank, and empty space filled
with fuel cells.