South Korea Equips Fighter Jets with Advanced Targeting Pod

South Korea has equipped it’s KF-16 fighter jets with Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP).

The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) had signed a contract with Lockheed Martin in late 2013 for the supply of ATPs, Yonhap reported Monday.

Compared with the "first-generation" device used by the Air Force, the "third-generation" one is capable of detecting, identifying and automatically tracking targets from twice as far with a three to five time higher resolution image, the DAPA said.

The Sniper ATP laser designates small tactical targets at long ranges and supports deployment of all laser and GPS-guided weapons against multiple fixed and moving targets.

It significantly improves both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations, while reducing the odds of an erroneous strike, the DAPA added.

"With the completion of installing major fighter jets with the nighttime target identification system, our Air Force has secured effective nighttime mission and precision guided munition (PGM) operation capabilities, which are a key to modern warfare," the agency said.