USAF inks Sniper pod deal with Lockheed Martin

摘要

The US Air Force (USAF) has signed a USD147 million contract to order additional Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper advanced targeting pods (ATPs), which allow for target acquisition in a matter of seconds and almost instantaneous bomb damage assessment. Lockheed Martin would not say how many pods would be purchased under the contract or for which aircraft. However, the Sniper ATP has been operating in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2005 and is deployed on USAF and multinational aircraft such as the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, Rockwell B-1 Lancer, Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Boeing F-15 Eagle, Lockheed Martin F-16, Boeing F/A-18 Hornet, BAE Systems Harrier and Panavia Tornado.