Sniper ATP

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A sniper pod under the fuselage of a B-1B Lancer

The sniper ATP ( A dvanced T arge ting P od, JETDS designation: AN / AAQ-33) (an external container engl. Pod ) for navigation and targeting of modern fighter aircraft . It is used by the US Corporation Lockheed Martin manufactured since 2001 and is used mainly in the United States Air Force use.

description

Front view of a sniper pod

The sniper system, also known as Sniper XR , was primarily developed for the effective use of precision-guided ammunition (especially those with laser- guided ammunition ). It can locate, identify and track ground and air targets over long distances based on their infrared emissions. The target data obtained are then transferred to a connected weapon system in order to initiate the fight.

A sniper pod has several components. The most important part is a high-resolution FLIR sensor that works in the mid-infrared spectrum. With this sensor, enemy targets can also be detected at night or under adverse conditions. The range is three to five times longer than that of a LANTIRN pod of the first generation. A CCD TV camera can also be used for use in daylight. Both sensors are fully stabilized and have software algorithms for digital processing of the images. A data link for transmitting the images obtained to allied forces and a data memory can be upgraded at any time. Two separate laser systems are used to track and mark targets. Both have a so-called ( Engl. ) Eye-safe mode to prevent eye damage in densely populated areas or during training. The container cell causes less air resistance than the previous models and has limited stealth properties .

The export version of the Sniper XR, the Pantera, is or was used by the following nations: Egypt , Bahrain , Belgium , Great Britain , Iraq , Japan , Jordan , Canada , Kuwait , Morocco , the Netherlands , Norway , Oman , Pakistan , Poland , Romania , Saudi Arabia , Singapore , South Korea , Taiwan , Thailand , Turkey and United Arab Emirates . The US Air Force is currently planning to procure 552 systems at a production rate of 24 pieces per year. As of December 2008, there were around 170 devices in inventory, with a unit price of $ 1.6 million. The Air Force wants to integrate the pod into the following machines: F-16C / D (except for Block 25), F-15C / E, B-1B, B-52H and A-10C. Sniper pods were used years ago as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom .

Platforms

A B-1B with a sniper pod (under the front part of the fuselage; behind the cockpit)

Technical specifications

  • Weight: 181 kg
  • Length: 2390 mm
  • Diameter: 300 mm
  • Components:
    • high resolution FLIR sensor
    • TV camera based on CCD
    • Target tracking laser
    • Target marking laser
  • Roll axis (sensor): fully movable
  • Scanning range (vertical): + 35 ° to −155 °
  • Field of view: 4 ° or 1 ° (switchable)
  • MTBF : ≥ 600 hours

Web links

Commons : Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod  - collection of images, videos and audio files