Lockheed Martin has completed a multi-aircraft flight demonstration of its new Sniper Networked Targeting Pod (NTP), validating a capability that allows real-time exchange of targeting data between multiple aircraft and ground stations. The company disclosed the milestone in a statement released on Jan. 30, 2026, confirming that two F-16 Fighting Falcons equipped with the upgraded pod successfully shared sensor data with each other while simultaneously transmitting information to a ground-based node.
Although Lockheed Martin did not reveal the timing or location of the demonstration, the event represents the first known flight test of the Sniper NTP in a fully networked configuration. The test follows the system’s public unveiling in November 2025 and marks a significant evolution of a targeting pod that has been a mainstay of Western air power for more than two decades.
According to the company, the demonstration validated the concept of transforming a traditional electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) targeting pod into what it calls a “battlespace connector”—a sensor and communications node capable of contributing to a shared, near-real-time tactical picture across air and ground domains.
For most of its operational life, the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) has been optimized to serve the host aircraft. Its mission has been to detect, identify, track, and designate targets for precision-guided munitions while providing pilots with high-resolution imagery for both strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The Sniper NTP fundamentally expands that role. Rather than acting solely as a sensor feeding one cockpit, the new variant is designed to operate as an active node within a wider command-and-control (C2) architecture. Lockheed Martin says the pod can exchange targeting-quality data with other aircraft and ground users, reducing the time between detection and engagement and enabling coordinated operations across multiple platforms.
New Sniper Networked Targeting Pod. (Lockheed Martin)
The January demonstration showed two upgraded Sniper pods exchanging data directly with each other while also transmitting that information to a ground station. In practical terms, this means that a target detected by one aircraft can immediately appear on another aircraft’s display and at a command post, without the delays associated with voice communications or sequential data relay.
Lockheed Martin emphasized that this capability is particularly relevant in modern operations, where ISR, targeting, and command functions increasingly occur in parallel rather than in a linear sequence.
“In today’s battlespace, seconds matter,” the company said, arguing that the ability to move trusted sensor data instantly between platforms can compress the so-called kill chain from minutes to seconds.
A key aspect of the Sniper NTP concept is resilience in contested electromagnetic environments. Modern conflicts have demonstrated the growing importance of electronic warfare (EW), with jamming, spoofing, and cyber effects routinely used to disrupt communications and data links.
Lockheed Martin says the Sniper NTP addresses this challenge by supporting mobile ad hoc network (MANET) radios and secure datalinks that can automatically reconfigure if a connection is degraded or lost. In a MANET-enabled architecture, each node—aircraft or ground station—can act as both a transmitter and a relay, allowing data to find alternate paths through the network if one link is jammed.
This design philosophy reflects lessons observed in current conflicts, most notably in Ukraine, where both sides have used EW extensively to disrupt unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control links, ISR feeds, and targeting data flows. In such environments, maintaining persistent, low-latency connectivity has become as critical as the performance of the sensors themselves.
The recent demonstration was conducted with support from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and the company’s 5G.MIL initiative, which focuses on applying resilient, high-speed communications technologies to military use cases. While details remain limited, the involvement of 5G.MIL suggests an emphasis on high-bandwidth, low-latency data transfer suitable for sharing full-motion video and targeting-quality sensor data.
At the core of the Sniper NTP upgrade is the integration of a Hybrid Base Station (HBS) into the pod. This module combines multiple processors and datalinks, effectively turning the pod into an airborne communications and edge-computing hub.
Externally, the Sniper NTP closely resembles the standard Sniper ATP, preserving the familiar form factor that has been integrated on a wide range of aircraft. The most visible difference is a conformal section added under the mid-body of the pod, which is believed to house antenna arrays for the new datalink functions.
Lockheed Martin has described the HBS architecture as waveform-agnostic and highly flexible. Among the datalinks mentioned are MANET radios for mesh networking between fourth-generation aircraft and the Multifunction Advanced Datalink (MADL), which is used by the F-35 Lightning II.
The inclusion of MADL support is particularly significant. MADL is a low probability of detection (LPD) and low probability of intercept (LPI) datalink designed to allow F-35s to share large volumes of data securely while preserving their stealth characteristics. Unlike Link 16, which is widely used but relatively easy to detect and jam, MADL enables stealth aircraft to operate and communicate discreetly in contested airspace.
By integrating MADL into a pod that can be carried by non-stealthy aircraft, Lockheed Martin aims to create a bridge between fifth-generation and legacy platforms without requiring extensive structural or avionics modifications to the host aircraft.
Interoperability between fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft has become a central issue for many air forces. While fifth-generation fighters such as the F-35 offer unprecedented sensor fusion and survivability, they are relatively few in number and expensive to operate. Fourth-generation platforms like the F-16, F/A-18, and Eurofighter Typhoon continue to form the backbone of many fleets and are expected to remain in service for decades.
The Sniper NTP is positioned as a “plug-and-play” upgrade path that allows these legacy aircraft to participate more fully in network-centric operations. Lockheed Martin has indicated that aircraft already cleared to carry the Sniper ATP should be able to integrate the NTP variant with minimal changes, potentially accelerating adoption across existing fleets.
In a concept of operations previously illustrated by the company, an F-35 detects and identifies a target using its onboard sensors and then passes precise coordinates via MADL to an F-16 equipped with Sniper NTP. That F-16 can then relay the information onward through MANET to a command center, task additional assets, or engage the target itself using long-range weapons.
This approach allows the F-35 to remain stealthy and focused on sensing and battlespace management, while less stealthy aircraft act as shooters or data relays. “Without compromising stealth, an F-35 can identify targets and pass precise coordinates through Sniper NTP to an F-16 which can then engage the target using long-range weapons,” Lockheed Martin said when unveiling the system.
The January demonstration focused on networking between two F-16s and a ground station, but follow-on tests are expected to incorporate the F-35 and MADL data transfer, further validating the cross-generation connectivity concept.
While the networking features of the Sniper NTP represent a major leap, the system is built on the foundation of one of the most widely used targeting pods in service. The AN/AAQ-33 Sniper ATP has been delivered in more than 1,650 units and has logged over five million operational flight hours with U.S. and allied air forces.
The pod’s sensor suite includes a high-definition mid-wave infrared (MWIR) sensor, a stabilized television camera, and a dual-mode laser designator and illuminator. Together, these systems provide long-range target detection, precision identification, and weapon-quality coordinate generation to support both GPS-guided and laser-guided munitions.
Advanced image processing and automated tracking algorithms reduce pilot workload and enable stable tracking of moving targets, even during high-speed or high-G maneuvers. Over years of combat operations, the Sniper ATP has proven particularly valuable as a non-traditional ISR asset, supporting missions far beyond its original air-to-ground strike role.
The pod can record and downlink full-motion video with embedded metadata to ground controllers or other aircraft, enabling real-time coordination in dynamic environments. Ground forces have used Sniper-equipped aircraft for overhead surveillance, route clearance support, and close coordination during complex operations.
Although primarily associated with strike missions, the Sniper ATP—and by extension the Sniper NTP—has also found utility in air-to-air roles. High-resolution infrared imagery can aid in the visual identification of aircraft, particularly during intercepts conducted under challenging weather or lighting conditions.
A notable example involved Taiwanese F-16V fighters using their Sniper pods to capture detailed IR imagery of People’s Liberation Army Navy J-15 fighters during close encounters. Such applications underscore the versatility of the sensor and hint at how networking those sensors could further enhance situational awareness across a formation.
With the NTP upgrade, imagery or tracks generated during an air-to-air intercept could potentially be shared instantly with other aircraft or ground-based air defense nodes, contributing to a more comprehensive air picture.
The successful demonstration of the Sniper NTP’s networking capability reflects a broader shift in air combat doctrine toward distributed, collaborative operations. Rather than relying on a small number of exquisite platforms to perform every function, modern concepts emphasize the sharing of sensing, decision-making, and shooting roles across a heterogeneous force.
By embedding advanced communications and processing into an external pod, Lockheed Martin is offering a way to rapidly expand networked capabilities without waiting for new aircraft designs or major avionics overhauls. This approach could be particularly attractive to air forces seeking to maximize the value of existing fleets while incrementally adopting fifth-generation and future capabilities.
The emphasis on resilience, low latency, and interoperability also aligns with emerging joint and coalition concepts, where data must flow seamlessly between services and allied forces operating different platforms.
While the January 2026 demonstration represents an important milestone, it is an early step in the Sniper NTP’s development and integration path. Future tests are expected to explore more complex scenarios, including integration with fifth-generation aircraft, operations in electronically contested environments, and expanded ground and maritime connectivity.
If these capabilities mature as planned, the Sniper Networked Targeting Pod could play a significant role in bridging the gap between legacy and next-generation air combat systems—turning a familiar piece of hardware into a key enabler of network-centric warfare.
For air forces facing increasingly sophisticated threats and constrained budgets, that evolution may prove just as important as the introduction of entirely new aircraft.
