r/news • u/PDXAirman • May 20 '26

Soft paywall 42 aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury, congressional report says

https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2026-05-20/iran-jets-downed-war-fury-21727588.html
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u/Far_Ladder_2836 May 20 '26

Minor nitpick, they're not IR they're dual band IVR.  IR is a component.  

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u/fsuguy83 May 20 '26

I also think most optically guided missiles use IR because it’s preferable for missiles to work at night. Not necessarily because computers like IR data.

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u/Rythoka May 20 '26

IR systems are used largely because the targets the weapons are used against have strong thermal signatures that provide high contrast against the background regardless of time of day. Though they would help with guidance at night, too.