Poland has formalized an intergovernmental contract (Letter of Acceptance, LOA) with the United States to procure Sniper advanced targeting pods, produced by Lockheed Martin. The country’s Armament Agency, operating under the Polish Ministry of Defense, has announced that the acquisition will involve 34 new AN/AAQ-33 Sniper advanced targeting pods (ATP), which will be integrated onto Poland’s FA-50 light attack aircraft.

The scheduled delivery of these pods to Poland is anticipated to take place between 2024 and 2028.

In August 2022, Poland took significant steps in reinforcing its air capabilities by signing contracts with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for the acquisition of 12 FA-50 Block 10 and 32 FA-50 Block 20 (FA-50PL) aircraft. The initial contract was valued at USD 705 million, while the second contract amounted to USD 2.3 billion.

The FA-50 Block 20 will undergo modifications to meet the specific operational needs of the Polish Air Force.

The Sniper ATP stands as a proven electro-optical targeting system, conveniently housed in a single lightweight pod. Its capabilities extend to handling challenging precision targeting and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance tasks in air-to-air and air-to-ground missions across different environments – land, sea, and air.

With a track record of success, the Sniper ATP is a leader in precision targeting and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance technology. It has been delivered to various corners of the world, exceeding a count of 1,500 units. Notably, Sniper ATP holds interoperability across a range of platforms, encompassing aircraft like the U.S. Air Force and multinational F-2, F-15, F-16, F-18, A-10, B-1, B-52, Harrier, and Typhoon.

Source: Adapted from various news agencies