Lockheed Martin officials tell Air Warfare Symposium attendees the company expects this year to demonstrate for the Air Force the two-way “John Madden” capability of its Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod. In the Sniper’s first demonstration, Lockheed used a video downlink that showed streaming TV with increased resolution and imagery. The second demonstration will feature transmit and receive, high-definition quality, two-way connectivity to generate even more precise targeting ability. Lockheed plans to offer the Air Force the John Madden video-to-ground feature in real-time to replace LANTIRN targeting pods on the F-16 and F-15E. Lockheed already has received a contract for a B-1B Sniper flight demo and hopes to flight test it with the B-52 later this year.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.