The US Air Force has delayed until August the selection of a third-generation Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) as the three final competitors, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon, fine-tune their best and final offers.
At stake is an initial order for 168 pods to be purchased at the rate of 24 a year, with an eventual requirement for up to 522 ATPs to replace the Lockheed Martin LANTIRN targeting pod. The pod will first equip the air force's CJ defence-suppression version of the Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 50 and Air National Guard's Block 30 F-16s, followed by Boeing F-15Es and F-16 Block 40s.
The Air Combat Command has set a tight schedule, requiring first deliveries by January 2003.In doing so the USAF has minimised lead time by emphasising that the ATP be a non-development item. The smallest of three pods in the contest is Lockheed Martin's Sniper XR, which is said to share 60% module commonality with the Electro Optical Targeting System the company proposes for its Joint Strike Fighter contender. This includes common optics, spot tracker, sapphire window and boresight.
Lockheed Martin claims Sniper is compatible with the Boeing F/A-18E/F and the international Pantera version would be an option for export sales. It has held talks with Eurofighter about offering the pod on the Typhoon.
Also in the running for the USAF order is Raytheon's ATP version of its Terminator family and an improved version of the Israeli Litening pod from Northrop Grumman.
Source: Flight International
