Lockheed Martin recently delivered the first Sniper sensor pods ordered by the South Korean air force for its fleet of F-15K fighters. They arrived at Daegu Air Base, home to F-15Ks. The pods, which identify targets at long ranges and relay high-resolution streaming video to ground forces, will be “immediately deployed into full flight operations” with the F-15K fleet, according to a company release. “Sniper pods provide the [South Koreans] with updated targeting and non-traditional intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance capabilities,” said Marc Nazon, Lockheed’s program manager for fixed wing fire control. “We look forward to continued support and training to ensure that [their] pilots and maintainers have a full command of the Sniper pod’s life capabilities.”
Aircraft readiness will suffer if Congress does not approve some $1.5 billion worth of spare parts the Air Force requested in its annual Unfunded Priorities List, sent to Capitol Hill last week, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said.