Both the Romanian and Royal Thai air forces have chosen to upgrade their F-16 fleets with Lockheed Martin’s Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, the company said May 11.
Sniper is able to detect, identify and track and laser designated small tactical targets at long ranges. The bolt-on pod passes targeting information to both the pilot and to laser- and GPS-guided weapons for both stationary and moving targets.
The pod is the most widely used targeting system in the U.S. Air Force inventory of fixed-wing aircraft. Along with Romania and Thailand, a total 20 countries operate with the system, according to Lockheed Martin. Installation is quick and simple, described by a Lockheed spokesperson as “rapid plug-and-play.”
The company plans to install the systems on existing aircraft and provide at least initial sustainment support. Software-specific development and integration work for both countries will be performed at a Lockheed Martin facility in Orlando, Fla. A company spokesperson said she was not at liberty to disclose how many aircraft are included in the deal.
Deliveries have already begun to “meet operational requirements” of those countries,” according to Lockheed Martin.The Sniper pod is also compatible with a range of combat aircraft, allowing its use on U.S. and international F-15, F-18 and A-10 fighters and B-1 and B-2 bombers.
The decision is another is a long line of recent efforts to upgrade and add capability to aging fleets of the F-16, one of the most prolific fighters in history. Sniper is an add-on boost to the precision targeting capabilities of the Romanian and Thai fighters, but other countries are going all-out of revamping the weapon systems and avionics of their aircraft.
Many nations that are partners in the F-35 program have been forced to lengthen the service life of their F-16 fleets because of delays in development and production of the Joint Strike Fighter. The U.S. Air Force also has launched an effort to extend the service life of 300 F-16C/Ds from 8,000 hours to between 10,000 and 12,000 hours.
Another international example came May 5 when the State Department announced the approval of a possible foreign military sale to Singapore for Lockheed Martin and other contractors to upgrade that country’s F-16 Block 52s. The work to upgrade 60 F-16C and Ds will cover reliability, sustainability and combat capability and cost about $130 million.