Lockheed Martin to upgrade hundreds of Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods across Air Force fleet

ORLANDO, Fla. U.S. Air Force officials selected Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) in Orlando, Florida, to sustain and upgrade 683 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATP), employed on multinational F-2, F-15, F-16, F-18, A-10, B-1, B-52, and Typhoon aircraft. Under a $961 million, five-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract enables Air Force personnel to place orders for logistics, spares, software, and sensor enhancements, among other activities.

"This contract enables us to respond promptly to the needs of our warfighters, including maintaining Sniper's availability and reliability rates while advancing capabilities through pod upgrades," says Nicole Visosky, U.S. Air Force program manager.

Sniper ATP detects, identifies, automatically tracks, and laser-designates small tactical targets at long ranges. It also supports employment of all laser- and GPS-guided weapons against multiple fixed and moving targets.

The Sniper ATP is designed to provide air-to-ground and air-to-air targeting capability, to be more reliable and sustainable than any other in the field, and to be continuously upgraded with the most advanced technology.

"Sniper's availability, reliability and performance are critical to the U.S. Air Force and warfighters worldwide," says Paul Lemmo, vice president of fire control/special operations forces contractor logistics support services at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "We are proud to continue partnering with the U.S. Air Force to deliver our most advanced targeting technology and support ongoing operations."

Sniper ATP has been chosen by the U.S. Air Force and 25 international customers. It is interoperable across multiple platforms, including multinational F-2, F-15, F-16, F-18, A-10, B-1, B-52, and Typhoon aircraft.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services.