FEATURE ARTICLE

November 2004

Navy Wraps Up Review of Air-to-Ground Targeting Systems Deployed on Fighter Jets

by Sandra I. Erwin

A review of three air-to-ground targeting systems designed for Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps fighter jets is expected to leave current programs intact, sources said.

The Navy’s top acquisition official, Assistant Secretary John Young, convened an independent panel of experts earlier this year to review the systems, which help aviators pinpoint targets on the ground at night and in adverse weather.

The three pods in the review included the Navy’s advanced targeting forward-looking infrared (ATFLIR), the Air Force Sniper and the Marine Corps’ Litening.

All three systems represent the latest generation of this technology, which employs high-magnification infrared sensors and optics packaged on stabilized mounts and installed on military jet fighters.

The services collectively could spend up to $5 billion in the next five to 10 years on targeting pods, prompting Pentagon officials to question why the Defense Department could not consolidate the programs and possibly save money.

This is not the first time a senior review panel is charged to study targeting pods. The Defense Science Board probed the issue more than four years ago and concluded that the Air Force and the Navy should pursue separate programs for an advanced targeting pod.

The Defense Department originally considered combining both programs. The Navy launched the ATFLIR program in 1997, and awarded a contract to the Raytheon Company. The system now is in low-rate production. The Air Force, meanwhile, launched a separate program in 2001, called Advanced Targeting Pod, and selected the Sniper, made by Lockheed Martin Corp.

The Marines and the Air National Guard, meanwhile, chose the Litening pod, made by a team of Northrop Grumman and Rafael.

A member of the DSB study group told National Defense in 2001 that the most significant reason why the Pentagon should not consolidate the Navy and the Air Force programs was the cost associated with canceling the ATFLIR, if the Air Force decided that it did not meet its requirements.

Although the ATFLIR and the Sniper share much of the same technology, the primary difference is the cooling system. The Navy pod gets cooling from the platform aircraft, the F/A-18. The Air Force pods require an on-board environmental conditioning system.

The Navy pods also must be customized for carrier-based flying. They must be hardened to withstand catapult launches and harsh landings, as well as electromagnetic interference.

The Navy will spend about $1.8 billion for 574 ATFLIR systems. The Air Force intends to buy 520 pods, each estimated to cost about $1.5 million.

Young was briefed on the latest review findings on September 23. A Navy spokesman said the service would not discuss any details on the panel’s recommendations nor would it disclose the names of the panel members.

According to industry sources, the review did not identify a clear “winner,” nor did it recommend the cancellation of any of the targeting pod programs.

These sources speculated that the motivation for Young’s review was to put pressure on the contractors to lower the prices of the pods.

After the review was announced, Lockheed Martin launched an aggressive marketing campaign, hoping to persuade Navy officials that they should consider switching to the Sniper, even if that system had lost the competition back in 1997.

Morri Leland, a business development executive at Lockheed Martin, said the Sniper technology would suit the Navy’s needs if the service chose to consolidate its targeting pod program with the Air Force.

Raytheon, meanwhile, expects that the price of ATFLIR will come down if the Navy agrees to a multiyear contract, said Dave Goold, business development director. The company is anticipating a production contract in early 2005 and is negotiating a multiyear deal with the Navy for the last 361 pods.

The Marine Corps and the Air National Guard said they are committed to the Litening pod, which they have been flying in combat for the past several years.

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