F-16 Fighting Falcon News

October 6, 2011 (by Melissa Hilliard) - Egypt is now the 13th international customer for Lockheed Martin's Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP), which provides precision targeting and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (NTISR) in a single lightweight system.
The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) has selected Sniper to equip its F-16 aircraft purchased under the Peace Vector program.

"The Egyptian Air Force is a well-established customer of Lockheed Martin targeting systems, having flown LANTIRN targeting pods since the early 1990s," said Hugh Woods, international program manager in Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control business. "We are eager to ensure that EAF pilots have access to advanced targeting and NTISR capabilities by outfitting Peace Vector aircraft with Sniper."

With this order, the EAF joins the USAF, Air National Guard and 12 international customers who are fielding Sniper ATP's, which allow aircrews to positively identify targets of interest from extended standoff ranges.

Sniper ATP provides long-range, positive target identification, enhancing an aircrew's ability to detect and analyze ground targets while dramatically decreasing the risks posed by enemy air defenses. The system's stable, automatic tracking and laser designation of targets, along with a video datalink with metadata, ensure pilots can visually identify threats in day/night conditions and share imagery with ground troops.