Lockheed Martin hopes a new US Air Force programme to acquire advanced targeting pods will kick-start a LANTIRN modernisation effort by freeing up pods for the planned upgrade of USAir National Guard Fairchild A-10s.
The company has developed improvements for US Navy and export LANTIRN targeting pods which could be incorporated in any USAF systems transferred from active-duty to reserve units.
These include a third-generation FLIR, daylight TV camera, laser spot tracker, digital recorder and a dual-mode laser which is able to designate targets from higher altitudes.
The improvements also offer the ability to generate target coordinates for GPS-guided munitions, a capability which will become operational next year in LANTIRN pods carried by US Navy Grumman F-14s.
Source: Flight International