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13 May 15. Sniper pods proliferate. Key Points:
* Sniper advanced targeting pods are being sold to Romania and Thailand
* Lockheed Martin is in talks with Dassault over integration of Sniper onto the Rafale fighter
The air forces of Romania and Thailand are set to become the 18th and 19th international customers for the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper advanced targeting pod (ATP), manufacturer Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (LMMFC) announced on 11 May. In addition, IHS Jane’s has learnt that the company is collaborating with Dassault Aviation with a view to integrating the pod onto the Rafale. The baseline Sniper ATP is equipped with a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) thermal imager, a high-definition TV camera, laser rangefinder, laser marker and laser spot tracker. The exact configuration can vary with individual customer requirements. The pod’s sensors provide pilots with the high-resolution imagery for precision targeting and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It is able to detect, identify, automatically track and laser-designate small tactical targets at long ranges. This, in turn, allows the use of laser- and GPS-guided weapons against multiple fixed and moving targets. A photograph of the Rafale fighter provided by Dassault Aviation for the cover of the 6 May issue of IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly showed the aircraft carrying what looked like a Sniper pod under its chin pylon. Egypt, which recently ordered the Rafale, already has Sniper pods in its inventory for use on F-16s. When pointed out to LMMFC, a company spokesperson told IHS Jane’s, “The pod in the photo appears to be Sniper ATP; however, it seems to be photo-shopped. Lockheed Martin is collaborating with Dassault to explore Sniper ATP integration trials on the Rafale”. At the time of passing for press, Dassault Aviation had not responded to the invitation to comment. Meanwhile, it is expected that Thailand will have Sniper integrated onto the existing F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft, which are currently in the process of being brought up to Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) configuration in-country. According to IHS Jane’s World Air Forces , the Royal Thai Air Force fleet comprises 39 A-models and 14 two-seat B-models. Exactly how many Sniper pods are being procured has not been revealed, either for Romania or Thailand. Software-specific development and integration for both customers will be completed at LMMFC’s Orlando, Florida, facility. The Romanian Air Force F-16 fleet has yet to be delivered as the aircraft are being procured from Portugal, where nine F-16A and three F-16B aircraft are currently being upgraded to MLU M5.2 standard by OGMA. It is expected that Sniper integration will be conducted there, ahead of delivery to Romania in 2016. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
13 May 15. The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday said it would re-evaluate bids received in a $1bn long-range radar competition after a federal court dismissed a Raytheon Co lawsuit that sought to halt a fresh look at the bidders of its losing rivals Northrop Grumman Corp and Lockheed Martin Corp. “The court’s ruling … frees us to continue moving toward acquiring the much-needed new radar system. We will immediately re-enter source selection to reevaluate bids,” said Air Force spokesman Justin Oakes. He said the full process would take several months. The companies on Tuesday said the U.S. Court of Federal Claims had dismissed a lawsuit filed by Raytheon in January. Raytheon sued the Air Force after it would re-examine bids received in the competition following government hearings on protests filed by Lockheed and Northrop. Raytheon in October beat out Northrop and Lockheed to develop and build 30 Three Dimension Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) systems to replace the Air Force’s current TPS-75 radar, which has been in service since the l