Poland has signed an intergovernmental contract with the US to buy 34 AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods for its FA-50 fighter jets.
Poland bought 48 FA-50s last year from South Korea in two contracts worth $3 billion.
The jets would fill Warsaw’s strategic air defense needs, replacing the Soviet-origin MiG-29 and Su-22 aircraft.
The first 12 jets were to be delivered this year; two have already arrived, with the rest due from 2025 to 2028.
Polskie samoloty FA-50 zostaną wyposażone w 34 zasobniki celownicze #SNIPER.
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Dziś podpisana została umowa ze stroną amerykańską na sprzęt, który pozwoli pozyskiwanym samolotom niezwykle precyzyjnie wykrywać i namierzać cele na dużych odległościach. pic.twitter.com/zPh9GoywNe— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) August 18, 2023
Targeting Pod
The $105 million pods would improve the aircraft’s tactical effectiveness, enhancing its ability to track, identify, and engage targets from a stand-off range.
It would also improve the aircraft’s interoperability with US and NATO forces.
Features
The electro-optical targeting system is employed in air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, such as precision targeting and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
The battle-proven system features high-definition sensors and a laser spot tracker, enabling the weapon to strike moving targets.
