Networked Sniper® Pod Will Help NATO Team-Up
An innovation by Lockheed Martin will deliver unprecedented interoperability to F-35 Lightning II and F-16 fighters, ground-based artillery systems such as HIMARS, and the MLRS family of munitions.
Lockheed Martin engineers are transforming the combat-proven Sniper® targeting pod — a staple on 4th Generation fighters worldwide — into an edge communications and computing node to enable combined joint all domain command and control.
While the F-35 comes equipped for interoperability, two technical enhancements in this new Sniper Networked Targeting Pod will keep 4th Generation fighters and other legacy platforms in sync:
- An advanced datalink compatible with the F-35 will allow seamless sharing of target and surveillance information between aircraft.
- A Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) radio, meanwhile, will support a decentralized but highly secure mesh network of multiple air, ground and sea platforms ready to share and act on that information.
The engineering team has begun proving the interoperability concept through a series of ongoing tests and demonstrations. The engineers have speeded development and testing of Sniper by harnessing the latest digital technologies such as simulated missile shots from HIMARS, directed by real-world inputs from the targeting system.
The Lockheed Martin team plans to conduct more-complex flight testing and live missile shots in cooperation with the U.S. military.
The rapid development of Sniper is a direct response to NATO defense forces that seek closer collaboration between new F-35s and existing fleets of 4th Generation fighters, which they expect to fly another 40 years. Customers also want continuous target-tracking data from aircraft sensors to improve ground-based precision fires’ capabilities and strike targets that relocate after being discovered.
Lockheed Martin’s investment in the Sniper Networked Targeting Pod is part of the company’s vision for 21st Century Security®, which aims to integrate 5G.MIL® Unified Network Solutions capabilities and edge computing across customers’ aircraft, sensor systems and weapons.
For example, the enhanced Sniper will enable missions in which F-35 multirole fighters and their advanced sensors serve as forward observers that identify and track targets while sharing precise coordinates with F-16s and ground-based Command and Control Systems that allow the employment of MLRS family of munitions from either HIMARS or M270.
Stacy Kubicek, Vice President, Sensors & Global Sustainment, Lockheed Martin: "To deliver unprecedented interoperability, we’ve evolved Sniper to do what’s never been done before. The Sniper Networked Targeting Pod connects the battlespace, enabling seamless data sharing across platforms and systems—a capability in high demand by U.S. and allied forces and a powerful force multiplier for joint operations.”
Tina Frazer, Chief Engineer, Sniper program: “We’re moving quickly to adapt to rapidly evolving customer demand,”
J.R. McDonald, Vice President of F-35 Business Development: “The F-35 is the aircraft of choice for allies across NATO. By 2035, there will be more than 600 F-35s in the European region. The enhanced capabilities of the Sniper targeting pod will further enhance the connectivity and interoperability the F-35 brings to current and future customers.”
In the future, the Sniper Networked Targeting Pod could enhance capabilities of other Lockheed Martin-built systems.
Those include the United Kingdom’s SkyKeeper air-defense system and Lockheed Martin’s new low-observable hypersonic missile, Mako.