Lockheed Wins Sniper Orders from U.S., Saudi

Lockheed Martin announced another order for Sniper targeting pods from the U.S. Air Force, and revealed that Saudi Arabia has recently become a customer, presumably to fit on its F-15 fighters. The Sniper provides high-resolution imagery for precision targeting or simply for monitoring the ground, in a role that has become known as nontraditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

More than 650 Sniper pods have been ordered for the U.S. Air Force and 12 foreign air forces; Morocco and Turkey also recently signed up for some. The pod fits onto A-10s, F-15s, F-16s, F-18s, British Harriers and the B-1, and is the most widely used such device in combat operations, according to Lockheed Martin. The latest version (Lot 9) will include a new data link capability, enhanced moving target tracker, the capability to deliver legacy weapons and new weapons onto moving targets, and weapon damage limitation radius displays that will reduce the potential for collateral damage.