Sniper pushes its way onto Hornet fleets

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with Lockheed Martin’s AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod - lockheedmartin.com

22 SEPTEMBER, 2017 SOURCE: FLIGHTGLOBAL.COM BY: LEIGH GIANGRECO WASHINGTON DC

Canada's plans to buy the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet may be off the table, but details of the originally requested configuration show a Raytheon-made targeting pod's grip on the Boeing fighter is under pressure from a Lockheed Martin alternative that was long considered incompatible.

Though a dispute between Boeing and Bombardier has thrown cold water on the Canadian deal, the potential sale would have put Lockheed Martin’s AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods onto the F/A-18s. The shift from ATFLIR toward Sniper began more than a decade ago, with a Lockheed Martin flight test aboard a Super Hornet that stoked a US Navy review of its targeting pods. Due to budget constraints, the study never materialized into a request for proposals, and the navy continues to fly Raytheon’s Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) on its Super Hornet fleet.

Though sequestration has stalled the new pod effort, Sniper remains high on the US Navy’s desired capabilities list, says Don Bolling, director of business development at Lockheed missiles and fire control. Lockheed already fields Sniper on Canada’s current fleet of CF-18s, following a 2007 upgrade that involved no aircraft modifications. Last May, Lockheed announced a Sniper delivery to the Kuwait Air Force’s F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet.

In 2015, Sniper flew its first successful flight aboard a US Navy F/A-18F at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. Lockheed flew the pod on the Super Hornet’s centerline, whereas ATFLIR rides on the aircraft’s cheek station.

Under an internal research and development programme, Lockheed designed a prototype adapter unit that allowed Sniper to mount to the F/A-18E/F. Following several foreign military sales, Lockheed is refining the adapter design, in conjunction with Boeing and the navy, a navy spokesman tells FlightGlobal. The Sniper pod’s internal environmental control system, which regulates cooling, is independent from the aircraft’s environmental control system. A two-way data link module, located inside the adapter, relies on the aircraft ECS for cooling air, the navy spokesman says.

The CF-18 adapter is a different design which fits the outer mold-line on the legacy F/A-18A-D Hornets. The US Navy’s Super Hornet has a square inlet while the older F/A-18C/D model has a rounded inlet, which requires a different mounting structure, Bolling says.

Original post: flightglobal.com

Lockheed Martin’s Sniper ATP Soars on Super Hornet

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with Lockheed Martin’s AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod - lockheedmartin.com

ORLANDO, Fla., April 13, 2015 – On March 30, 2015, Lockheed Martin’s Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) successfully completed its first flight test aboard a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet. Lockheed Martin team members collaborated with Boeing and the U.S. Navy to complete necessary software updates and aircraft modifications for the initial flight test, which occurred at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 112,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2014 were $45.6 billion. Source: lockheedmartin.com

Lockheed Martin’ Sniper pod

Lockheed Martin’s Sniper ATP (Advanced Targeting Pod)  Picture: Lockheed Martin – Image: navyrecognition.com

Mission

Sniper pods provide improved long-range target detection/identification and continuous stabilized surveillance for all missions, including close air support of ground forces. The Sniper pod enables aircrews to detect and identify weapon caches and individuals carrying armaments, all outside jet noise ranges. Superior imagery, a video datalink and J-series-weapons-quality coordinates provided by the Sniper pod enable rapid target decisions and keep aircrews out of threat ranges.

High resolution imagery for non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (NTISR) enables the Sniper pod to play a major role in Air Force operations in theater, providing top cover for ground forces, as well as increasing the safety of civilian populations.

The Sniper pod is combat proven on U.S. Air Force and international F-15E, F-16 (all blocks), B-1, A-10C, Harrier GR7/9 and CF-18 aircraft. Lockheed Martin is also in the final stages of integrating the Sniper pod on the B-52. The pod’s plug-and-play capability facilitates moving the pod across platforms without changing software.

Features
Sniper pods include a high definition mid-wave forward looking infrared (FLIR), dual-mode laser, HDTV, laser spot tracker, laser marker, video data link, and a digital data recorder. Advanced image processing algorithms, combined with rock steady stabilization techniques, provide cutting-edge performance. The pod features automatic tracking and laser designation of tactical size targets via real-time imagery presented on cockpit displays. The Sniper pod is fully compatible with the latest J-series munitions for precision weapons delivery against multiple moving and fixed targets.

Advanced Targeting Pod – Sensor Enhancement (ATP-SE) design upgrades include enhanced sensors, advanced processors, and automated NTISR modes.

The Sniper pod’s architecture and modular design permits true two-level maintenance, eliminating costly intermediate-level support. Automated built-in test permits flightline maintainers to isolate and replace an LRU in under 20 minutes. Spares are ordered through a user-friendly website offering in-transit visibility to parts shipment.

The Sniper pod’s modular design also offers an affordable road map for modernizing and enhancing precision targeting capabilities for U.S. Air Force and coalition partner aircraft.

General characteristics
Primary function: positive identification, automatic tracking and laser designation, NTISR  
Prime contractor: Lockheed Martin
Length: 98.2 inches (252 centimeters)
Diameter: 11.9 inches (30 centimeters)
Weight: 446 pounds (202 kilograms)
Aircraft: F-15E, F-16 Block 30/40/50, A-10, B-1
Sensors: high resolution FLIR and HDTV, dual mode laser designator, laser spot tracker and laser marker  

Source af.mil

CF-18 Hornet: Details

F/A-18E/F & Block III Super Hornet: Details