Sniper targeting and surveillance pod integrates with Kuwait F-18 Super Hornet
NewsMay 28, 2021
BETHESDA, Md. Lockheed Martin, in conjunction with the U.S. Navy, completed its first flight test integrating Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet for the Kuwait Air Force.
Sniper ATP will be located on the Weapon Station 5, an area on the aircraft where pods or weapons attach, and is expected to be fielded with the aircraft in late 2023. This integration is intended to give existing and future Super Hornet fleets the ability to add Sniper ATP’s targeting and surveillance capabilities.
To verify the mechanics of the system, the company claims flight testing with a non-operational Sniper ATP was conducted at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland in March. Subsequently, flight-testing with an operational Sniper ATP was conducted at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California in March.
Currently, Sniper ATP flies on both the Kuwait F/A-18C/D and Canadian CF-18 Hornets. As the Kuwait Air Force transitions to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, they will receive the new capabilities that the latest Sniper ATP configuration provides to the Super Hornet fleet. There are currently over 27 countries and 15 different types of aircraft operating with the platform-agnostic Sniper ATP, according to the company.
