Fri, Feb 09, 2007
B-1 Flies With Advanced Weapons Targeting Pod
Boeing told ANN this week the company recently demonstrated the
successful use of an electro-optical/infrared targeting pod on a
B-1 bomber, increasing the aircraft's ability to minimize ground
threats and halt an enemy's advancement.
Configured with a Sniper XR electro-optical/infrared targeting
pod manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the B-1 crew completed more
than 40 test conditions in approximately eight hours on January 19
over the Mojave Desert in California. The demonstration validated
the B-1 crew's ability to positively identify moving and stationary
targets in a variety of real-world conditions.
Mounted on an external pylon below the cockpit, the targeting
pod allowed the flight crews to track moving vehicles day and
night, in both crowded and clear conditions. The sensor detected
large and small vehicles at different ranges and angles and
maintained its track even when the target vehicle passed other
vehicles.
"Included in the flight tests were tanker rendezvous and
refueling, which further emphasized the aircraft's ability to
loiter for extended periods," said Greg Burton, Boeing B-1/B-2
program director. "The test team, comprised of U.S. Air Force,
Boeing and Lockheed Martin personnel, put the pod through a
rigorous series of tests, which featured an 'engine running' crew
change to enable broader aircrew participation in the demonstration
flight."
Images and data from the sensor were displayed in the weapons
systems operator stations in the back seat of the aircraft and at
the pilot/co-pilot station. During the demonstration flight, the
pod also transmitted video images to the control room, enabling the
monitoring team to actively participate in the test events.
"Successful demonstration of this targeting pod paves the way
for a fielded capability that the operators have been requesting.
It shows that with sustained modernization, the B-1 will remain a
major component of US air strike capability for the next 25 years,"
concluded Burton.
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