Pressure is growing on the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to consolidate their large orders for multiple types of targeting pods, following the formation of an independent panel by John Young, assistant secretary of the navy for acquisition, technology and logistics. This will reassess the service's $1 billion plan to buy 574 Raytheon advanced targeting forward looking infrared (ATFLIR) pods and seek out "potential warfare efficiencies".
The navy also confirms that the USAF is participating in the review, perhaps with an eye to establishing a case for a joint requirement.
The USAF and USN/USMC orders have been split between three third-generation targeting systems: Lockheed Martin's Sniper XR, Northrop Grumman's Litening AT and the Raytheon ATFLIR.
The US Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve unveiled a plan on 19 July to buy 23 more Litening AT pods, which are also being delivered for use on USMC Boeing F/A-18D Hornets. The air force has ordered 582 Sniper XR targeting pods and plans to expand its order to equip Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft and Rockwell B-1 bombers for the first time.
Raytheon is delivering ATFLIRs to the navy under its second yearly low-rate initial production contract. Negotiations are set to begin shortly with the navy on a full-rate production deal, scheduled to be signed in fiscal year 2005.
Navy officials have consistently voiced support for the ATFLIR system, despite negative reviews of its reliability in Iraq by the Department of Defense's weapons evaluators. The navy says only pre-development ATFLIR pods were available for the deployment, and production systems now being delivered are performing well.
The timing of the review may inadvertently influence several international competitions, with Australia and Canada both close to launching acquisition programmes for third-generation targeting pods.
STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International
