The
Saudi air force is planning to upgrade the ground attack capability
of its F-15E strike Eagle aircraft, by replacing the ageing
LANTIRN targeting systems with Lockheed
Martin's AN/AAQ-33 Sniper advanced targeting pods. The US
Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the US Congress
of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of 40 Sniper pods
systems at a maximum value of $220 million. DSCA stated that
the acquisition will upgrade the RSAF capability to a standard
already obtained by few other air forces in the region, including
some of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. (More...)
However, this acquisition does make precedence,
as it is the first time that an Arab state receives advanced
US hardware before Israel is provided with comparable or superior
equipment. Israel is developing an indigenous targeting pod
system, known as Litening
IV but at the latest deliveries of F-16Is were equipped
with earlier models of the system believed to be less capable
than the Sniper.
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The
Saudi air force is planning to upgrade the ground attack capability
of its F-15E strike Eagle aircraft, by replacing the ageing
LANTIRN targeting systems with 