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understanding the point of 2 Air force TGP


Kev2go

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as a general question why did the USAF adopt 2 targting pods. Litening 2, shortly followed by the Sniper ATP? Why did USAF continue to buy both pods?

 

 

From what i found the Sniper ATP was based out of an official requirement to create a new generation TGP as a replacement for the aged Lantirn pod which dated back to the 80s.

 

 

Lockheed won the contract and developed the Sniper ATP which first began entering service in 2005 as the Sniper ATP - XR and has since 2014 has had further enhanced variations ( ATP SE) go IOC.

 

 

the First Litening 2 entered service in 1999, and was followed on by an improved Litening ER in 2001, and further by the Litening 2 AT model which entered service in 2003 and latter model what we have in DCS for the A10C.

 

However unlike the Sniper there was no official requirement for the litening to "replace"the Lantirn or any other device. The Litening 2 was a follow on from Litening 1 from Isreali Defense contractor ,Rafael Industries which teamed up with Northrup Grumman to create and sell the Litening 2.

 

Based on the fact it, The only logical theory is that USAF bought an "off the shelf product" as an interim solution whilst Lockheed winner of the ATP Contract, its Sniper pod was still being developed and tested to address a capability gap of the aged Lantirn TGP, until Sniper was ready for service. But if that case Why does the USAF continue to operate and yet still buy more Litening's among Snipers?

 

 

Anyone else have insight on this or can confirm if this thinking is correct?

 

as a second question how does the Litening 2 AT compare to the Sniper XR besides resolution ? ( L2 AT has 640x320 , Litening 2 G4 has 1K resolution, Sniper has? )

 

 

we can certainly expect the Sniper XR TGP the future with ED F-16C block 50 as well as Razbams F-15E.


Edited by Kev2go

 

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