On
March 30, 2015, Lockheed Martin's Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP)
successfully completed its first flight test aboard a U.S. Navy F/A-18F
Super Hornet. Lockheed Martin team members collaborated with Boeing
and the U.S. Navy to complete necessary software updates and aircraft
modifications for the initial flight test, which occurred at Naval Air
Weapons Station China Lake, California.
Sniper is the most widely deployed targeting system for fixed-wing aircraft
in use by the U.S. Air Force and is also the targeting system of choice
for more than 16 international air forces. In addition to fulfilling
precision strike mission requirements, Sniper is changing the way armed
forces operate in theater with new capabilities to meet the challenges
of non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Providing mission-critical capabilities for aircrew survivability and
mission success, Sniper specializes in long-range target detection/identification
and continuous surveillance for all missions, including close air support
of ground forces. Superior imagery, a video datalink, and J-series weapons-quality
coordinates enhance the warfighter’s ability to rapidly detect
and analyze air and ground targets while keeping aircrews out of threat
ranges.
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