Taking aim
Pakistan is target of weapons deal that could be worth over $50m
01June 2007
BY CHRIS NELSON
ORLANDO, Fla. â The U.S. government awarded a contract last month to Lockheed Martin Corp.'s missiles division to sell jet-fighter, weapon-targeting hardware to the Pakistani military â the latest in a string of global arms sales for the company.
The contract, which Lockheed officials announced May 14, calls for the company's Orlando-based Missiles and Fire Control Business Development unit to build 18 Sniper XR advanced targeting pods for Pakistan's fleet of F-16 fighter jets.
The deal includes spare parts and training services. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal could be worth more than $50 million, based on the value of previous contracts. It reflects the U.S. government's ongoing efforts to equip foreign militaries it considers allies in the fight against terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, according to officials close to the deal.
Lockheed Martin Corp. signed a deal to supply 18 Sniper XR advanced targeting pods to Pakistan for use on its fleet of F-16 fighter jets. The Sniper XR pod, shown above on a U.S. F-16, enables a pilot to track down and fire at enemy targets from a distance. Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin Corp.
"This sale culminates a two-year combined effort by Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control and Aeronautics businesses to upgrade the precision attack capability of one of our key allies," Ken Fuhr, director of Fixed Wing Targeting Programs at the missiles division, said. "Sniper continues to demonstrate exceptional performance in meeting the requirements and expectations of the war fighter."
The Bethesda, Md.-based company is the world's largest defense contractor, with an international payroll of more than 140,000 people. It is divided into five business segments: aeronautics, which includes the F-16 and F-22 fighters; electronic systems, encompassing everything from missiles and submarine warfare systems to homeland security systems, radar and postal automation systems; space systems, which includes satellites, strategic missiles and airborne defense systems; and integrated systems, which makes command, control and communication systems and reconnaissance/surveillance systems; and information and technology services.
The laser-based missile-guidance system enables pilots to track down and shoot at enemies from beyond the range of fire. It incorporates a high-resolution, forward-looking infrared camera that takes pictures using the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, a laser spot tracker and a color-capture television display for the pilot.
"Sniper allows pilots to identify [airborne] threats and either pass that information along to ground forces, or, if the pilot is in a situation where he is allowed to engage the enemy, he can do so," Lockheed Martin spokesman Craig Vanbebber said. "It keeps pilots out of harm's way â they can see the enemy before the enemy can shoot."
The pod itself measures 11.9 inches in diameter, 94 inches in length and weighs 397 pounds; it is bolted to the underside of the jet and provides the pilot a wide view of the horizon.
Sniper is currently used by the U.S. Air Force and other foreign militaries on the F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighter jets; the A-10 Thunderbolt, a single-seat, twin-engine attack jet; the B-1 Lancer long-range bomber and the Harrier GR9 jet fighter.
The Pakistan contract is the fourth such international deal in as many months that Lockheed has reeled in for Sniper. In April, the company received a contract worth an estimated $100 million to supply the Canadian military with the system. Other recent international customers include the United Kingdom, Norway, Oman, Belgium, Poland and Singapore.
The deal drew immediate criticism from U.S. lawmakers, chief among them U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Democrat from New Jersey, who derided it as nothing more than a reward to Pakistan for providing moral support to terror groups fighting India.
"I'm opposed to all military assistance to Pakistan â we first allowed it in the aftermath of 9/11 â but my view is we should be providing economic development aid to Pakistan, and not military assistance."
Pallone, the founder and former co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, expressed skepticism about Pakistan's efforts to reduce terrorist activities within its borders and along the country's shared border with Afghanistan, which is where Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding.
"There are a lot of indications that Pakistan has not been that helpful in the war on terror. They continue to allow Al-Qaeda to operate there and just really haven't stepped up to the plate on this," he said.
Pallone also accused U.S. President George W. Bush of not allowing Congress the opportunity to study the transaction before its completion. The Bush administration considers Pakistan a valuable ally in the ongoing search for terrorists; as such, it argued that the nation deserves U.S. military support.
"The problem is [Congress] doesn't get to vote on this â we don't vote on these kinds of transfers," Pallone said. "On many occasions I don't even know what we're transferring to Pakistan; we get no information about what is going on. Sometimes I find out about these deals by reading the newspaper the next day."
Lockheed Martin Corp. has signed a recent deal to supply Pakistan with 18 Sniper XR advanced targeting pods, above, for the countryâs fleet of F-16 fighter jets. The deal includes spare parts and training and could be worth about $50 million. Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin Corp.
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