Advancing Aviation: Combat Aircraft on the Verge of Modernization
Lockheed Martin’s Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) has successfully finished ground and flight examinations, paving the way for FA-50 airworthiness certification. The assessments led to a successful long-range guided munition strike on a specified target.
Sniper ATP delivers a cost-effective and compatible targeting pod solution for the FA-50, a light attack aircraft produced by Korea Aerospace Industries, LTD., in collaboration with Lockheed Martin.
After successfully completing the initial physical fit check in September 2019, this recent round of testing analyzed the aircraft’s performance with the Sniper pilot vehicle interface (PVI) and pod-specific features.
“This achievement clears the way for Sniper’s integration onto FA-50 platforms globally,” stated Kenen Nelson, Fixed Wing program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We are excited to include the FA-50 in the extensive roster of platforms that the Sniper ATP can enhance. More than 27 domestic and international clients rely on Sniper ATP for its precision, cost-efficiency, and dependability.”
The upcoming steps involve KAI striving for a Certification of Airworthiness (COA) to authorize Sniper’s operation on FA-50 light fighter jets. After certification, KAI can upgrade current aircraft and manufacture new ones aligned with this enhanced capability per customer demands.
Lockheed Martin and KAI are prepared to collaborate with nations possessing FA-50 fleets wishing to include Sniper ATP, once the Aircraft Certification Authority has given the green light to proceed.
The ATP product provides capability advancements such as high-resolution imagery for accurate targeting and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. It detects, identifies, automatically tracks, and laser-designates small tactical targets at significant distances while supporting the use of laser-guided and GPS-guided munitions against various stationary and moving targets.
Sniper ATP stands as the most extensively deployed targeting system for fixed-wing aircraft utilized by U.S. forces and is also the preferred targeting system for several international allies across diverse platforms.
It has garnered multiple accolades, including the Secretary of Defense Performance-Based Logistics Award and the Perry Precision Strike Award.
