Sniper Pod on B-52 Lockheed Martin has completed the integration of sniper targeting pod on to the USAF's aging B-52 bombers. T...
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| Sniper Pod on B-52 |
This upgrades imparts the more than 60 year-old B-52H Stratofortress better integration with ground forces and laser-guided bombs for precision strike capability.
US Air Force 2nd Bomb Wing successfully completed the first trial flight.
"This flight was the first time that the 2nd BW has used the sniper pod with live ordinance like the LGB," said Capt. Ryan Allen, a 20th Bomb Squadron radar navigation instructor.
"This pod gives a faster response time to our targets. What would normally take me 30 to 40 button presses in five minutes, now only takes me a few seconds to actually target and drop munitions."
This new capability also allows the aircrew to coordinate with ground forces in a new way that is beneficial to their safety and planning.
"With the pod we can integrate with the guys on the ground and let them see what we see. This way we are on the same page," Allen said.
"It also gives us a greater visibility range over that of the previous one."
With technology constantly moving forward this new pod gives its own set of challenges to the
B-52.
"The way the pod can interact with our avionics system is state of the art," Allen said. "Most of the systems had to be radically improved to give us total interaction between the new and old."
The Sniper pod is the most widely deployed targeting system for fixed-wing aircraft in use by the U.S. Air Force.
Built by Lockheed Martin, Sniper pod provides long-range target detection/identification and continuous surveillance for all missions, including close air support of ground forces. Superior imagery, a video datalink and J-series weapons-quality coordinates enhance the warfighter’s ability to rapidly detect and analyze ground targets while keeping aircrews out of threat ranges.
B-52 is the backbone of the manned strategic bomber force for the United States. The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory.
This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions.
The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters).
It has an unrefueled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles (14,080 kilometers).
