IRST

Introduction (Aircraft)

"IRST" meaning Infrared Search and Track is a function in War Thunder that is on some aircraft. IRST is like radar, having the search and track features but is different technologically and has some advantages to radar. Unlike radar, IRST uses infrared technology to search and detect a heat signature of an aircraft then to track the aircraft, which cannot be detected by the locked aircraft.

IRST may be used to slave IR-guided missiles to a locked target, exactly the same was as Radar works for this. IRST can not, however, guide any SARH missiles as it does not emit any signal.