The Sniper NTP integrates a multi-datalink, multi-processor Hybrid Base Station (HBS) with the existing Sniper ATP, turning it into an airborne communications and edge-computing node.
Lockheed Martin has unveiled the latest evolution of its proven Sniper targeting pod, called the Sniper Networked Targeting Pod (NTP), whose development was announced last year. By integrating a multi-datalink, multi-processor Hybrid Base Station (HBS) with the existing Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP), the new system becomes an airborne communications and edge-computing node.
Sniper NTP
The image accompanying the press release shows the outer shape of the Sniper pod almost untouched, with the difference being a conformal section attached below the middle section of the pod. It is likely that this section hosts the arrays used by the datalink to share the data with other assets.
Notably, the Sniper NTP allows the carrier aircraft to easily communicate with the F-35 Lightning II. In fact, the company says “the Hybrid Base Station (HBS) utilizes a flexible architecture to support various datalinks and processors, including the Multifunction Advanced Datalink (MADL) for F-35 interoperability and Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) radios for resilient mesh networking.”
The pod is described as a cost-effective, flexible “plug-and-play design” that will let users add secure high-speed communications and processing to their aircraft. This way, fourth-generation aircraft can receive and act on sensor data from fifth-generation aircraft, as well as other networked sources.
“Without compromising stealth, an F-35 can identify targets and pass precise coordinates through Sniper NTP to an F-16 which can then engage the target using long range weapons,” says Lockheed Martin. “This secure data sharing at 5G+ speeds is a critical node to connect fighters, ground stations, uncrewed aircraft, Navy vessels and satellites.”
The company further said that “future demonstrations will showcase multi-aircraft coordination, secure video share and dynamic targeting handoffs.” As a concept of operation, an infographic shows an F-35 sharing a threat’s location trough MADL with two Sniper NTP-equipped F-16s, which then use MANET to further relay the information to a command center for an engagement with HIMARS.
“[Sniper NTP] provides a cost-effective, flexible upgrade path that extends mission relevance without aircraft modification — a capability many allied air forces have asked for as they look to keep long-serving fourth-generation aircraft ready and capable in an increasingly mixed-fleet and digital environment,” says Lockheed Martin. The F-16 Block 70/72 would be a likely candidate to be equipped with the Sniper NTP, as these newly built aircraft (and the upgraded F-16Vs) will be flying together with modern assets like the F-35 for the years to come.
Sniper ATP
The AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) is one of the most widely fielded EO/IR targeting systems, with more than 1,650 pods delivered and more than five million operational hours logged in U.S. and allied air forces. The system provides long-range target detection, precision identification and laser designation for a broad range of strike and ISR missions.
The pod combines a high-definition mid-wave infrared sensor with a stabilized TV camera and a dual-mode laser designator/illuminator. This sensor suite allows aircrews to acquire, track and identify targets at significant stand-off ranges, while generating weapon-quality coordinates to support GPS-guided and laser-guided munitions.
Lockheed Martin highlights that the pod’s advanced image-processing and automated tracking algorithms significantly reduce pilot workload, enabling stable tracking of moving targets even during high-speed maneuvers. In addition to its strike role, the Sniper ATP has become a valuable non-traditional ISR asset during its many combat deployments.
The pod can also record and downlink full-motion video with metadata to ground controllers or other aircraft, supporting real-time coordination in dynamic environments. This way, the Sniper ATP can also provide overhead surveillance for ground units, adding another layer of security.
As we previously reported here at The Aviationist, the pod’s high-resolution IR imagery has proven useful even in air-to-air contexts, being adopted to aid in the identification of tracks of interest by Quick Reaction Alert aircraft. A notable case was Taiwanese F-16Vs using their Sniper pods to capture detailed IR footage of PLA Navy J-15 fighters during a close encounter.
