Egypt to acquire Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods

Egypt is all set to buy 20 AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods from Lockheed Martin, now that the U.S. has approved the sale.

A release by Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) says that the contract is valued $65.6 million. It does not state the type of aircraft on which the pods will be deployed, but Cirium fleets data indicates that Egypt has 200 in-service F-16s.

Additionally, the U.S. has agreed to sell a Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) System for Airbus 340-200 Head-of-State Aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $104 million. The self-protection suite provided by Northrop Grumman will improve the survivability of the Airbus from missile attack.

The LAIRCM system is a laser-based countermeasures system that protects large fixed-wing transports and small rotary-wing aircraft from an infrared missile attack by automatically detecting a missile launch, determining if it is a threat, and activating a high-intensity countermeasure system to track and defeat the threat. LAIRCM is produced by Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division in Rolling Meadows, Ill.