Connecting the Fight: Sniper® Networked Targeting Pod Completes Multi-Aircraft Flight Demonstration
In today’s battlespace, seconds matter, particularly as operations increasingly rely on multiple platforms and forces acting in unison.
Precision intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) are no longer sequential activities, but integrated functions executed in parallel, where split-second decisions depend on trusted data moving instantly and reliably between platforms.
Lockheed Martin recently advanced this new reality with the inaugural flight demonstration of the Sniper® Networked Targeting Pod (NTP) on two F-16 aircraft. With the support of Aeronautics and 5G.MIL®, this event marked a pivotal step in transforming a proven targeting sensor into a battlespace connector.
The flight event validated the real-time flow of targeting data between two upgraded Sniper pods and, simultaneously, onward to a ground station. This capability allows airborne and ground teams to operate from a shared, continuously updated tactical picture, supporting coordinated action effectively shrinking the kill chain to seconds.
Speed, Shared Awareness and Split-Second Decisions
As operational complexity increases, decision advantage depends on how quickly and accurately information can be shared across mission partners. Sniper NTP enables the rapid exchange of reliable targeting data that supports situational awareness, increased precision and simultaneous execution across platforms.
The key to this capability is the pod’s ability to network through mobile ad hoc network (MANET) radios and secure datalinks, allowing platforms to exchange sensor information directly and automatically re-establish connectivity if links are interrupted. By networking targeting data across platforms and domains, Sniper NTP allows pilots, ground and maritime teams to work in concert, acting on information in real time. This integrated approach reduces latency, enhances target tracking and supports informed decision making.
The Networked Evolution of a Proven Sensor
Building on the combat-proven Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, Sniper NTP evolves the world's most widely used and trusted electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) targeting sensor into a networked node. By combining reliable sensing with secure, high-speed connectivity, the pod supports coordinated operations across domains while enabling platforms to share trusted data without requiring changes to the aircraft.
This first flight demonstration represents a foundational step toward the future of networked targeting, where precision, speed and connectivity converge to meet the demands of emerging threats.