Article Posted on : - May 24, 2010

The Sniper ATP (inset) is currently flying on the US Air Force and multinational F-16, F-15, B-1, F-18, Harrier, A-10, B-52 and Tornado aircraft.

ORLANDO (BNS): Lockheed martin has signed a $40 million foreign military contract for the delivery of Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) to the Royal Saudi Air Force.

The Royal Saudi Air Force has earlier purchased the Sniper pods in March 2009. This is the second Sniper ATP purchase in a multi-year precision sensor modernisation programme.

"Deliveries on the initial F-15S Sniper ATP contract were completed ahead of schedule and we are now looking forward to deliver additional pods to support their urgent operational requirement for Sniper ATP capability," said John Rogers, Saudi Sniper ATP program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, according to a Lockheed Martin news report.

The Sniper ATV has exceptional image quality and stability due to its next-generation design. It delivers extremely precise weapon targeting for multiple fixed and moving targets, a high performance datalink for real-time coordination between aircrews and ground troops, and real-time weapon damage estimation radius displays to reduce the potential for collateral damage.

The Sniper pod is heavily used as a non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance asset for convoy route reconnaissance and battlefield situational awareness.

The Sniper ATP is used on the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, B-1 (Rod Pod), UK Harrier GR9 and Canadian CF-18 Hornet.

The Sniper ATP is in service with Norway, Oman, Poland, Singapore, Canada, Belgium, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the UK MoD.