The US Air Force is to improve the Lockheed Martin LANTIRN targeting pod by giving it bomb damage assessment (BDA) and digital recording capabilities.
Lockheed Martin flew a prototype last year as part of a Department of Defense-funded technology demonstration of the Tactical FLIR Pod Modification (TFPM). The USAF has initiated an 18-month development programme and plans to modify 43 targeting pods, with initial units to be fielded in early 2002 and deliveries spanning three years.
During the 1991 Gulf War, BDA analysts had difficulty determining the success of strikes against underground targets using penetrating bombs. BDA teams often could not tell if the weapon detonated inside or outside a subterranean facility and could not assess the level of damage it caused. Additionally, LANTIRN cockpit imagery was recorded on analogue video tapes, which were difficult and time-consuming to review.
LANTIRN pods operate in the 8-12 micron infrared (IR) spectrum, providing analogue video imagery of the target. The TFPM equips LANTIRN with a two-band radiometer and tactical disk recorder system (TDRS). The radiometer collects information in the 3-5 micron band to exploit plume signature data to determine if the weapon penetrated the target.
The TDRS records the IR imagery and radiometry data in digital format, but the changes are virtually transparent to the crew, and there are no modifications to the aircraft or its software.
The system detects the amount of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the detonation plume. An in-facility blast provides more oxygen to feed combustion and produces more carbon dioxide.
Unlike analogue video, which loses resolution each time it is copied, digital imagery retains its original quality and resolution.
Source: Flight International