A LOOK AT TARGETING, NAVIGATION & RECONNAISSANCE PODS IN THE TURAF INVENTORY
The Turkish Air Force gained its 1st generation targeting pod capability in the mid-1970s. By June 1993, the TurAF started to receive the 2nd generation LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared System for Night) Pods (first installed on F-16 Block 40 Aircraft of the 161st Squadron in February 1994) based on the fact that high technology can only contribute to its deterrence in the region by keeping a combat readiness level that can operate continuously for 24 hours. The LANTIRN system, which gives the pilot the ability to use all weapons at night the same way used during the day, provided the Turkish Air Force with the ability and capability to hold the initiative in addition to conduct precise and continuous strikes on all targets that pose a threat during the day and especially at night, as well as the attack initiative. The Turkish Air Force started to use the 3rd generation Sniper XR Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) and LANTIRN Extended Range (ER) Navigation Pods on F-16C/D Block 40M, 50M and Block 50+ Aircraft in 2011, and the 3rd generation AselPOD Targeting Pod, designed and produced by Aselsan, on the F-16C/D Block 40M, Block 50M and Block 50+ Aircraft in 2016. The Turkish Air Force replaced the CA-880 Strategic and Tactical Aerial Reconnaissance System (It consists of a KS-146B LOROP-Long Range Oblique Photography camera mounted inside a modified external fuel tank that can be carried under the fuselage), which were purchased in the 1980s for the RF-4E reconnaissance aircraft, with the 3rd generation DB-110 EO/IR Digital Tactical Reconnaissance System in 2014. The DB-110 EO/IR can transmit the images it takes in real-time directly to the Image Processing/Exploitation Stations on the ground (there are two different data link antennas on the pod, one at the front and one at the rear, to provide 360-degree coverage and prevent possible loss of line-of-sight).
In this article, we will introduce to you the targeting, navigation, and reconnaissance pods used by the TurAF, and we will share brief information about their inventory acceptance processes and the capabilities they provide.
AN/AVQ-23 Pave Spike
According to open sources, the first targeting pod to enter the Turkish Air Force's inventory was the AN/AVQ-23 Pave Spike Targeting Pod ordered under the Peace Diamond-I and Peace Diamond-II Projects for the 40 + 32 F-4E Phantom-II aircraft, which started to be delivered in August 1974 (deliveries of Peace Diamond-II began in April 1978). The AN/VQ-23 Pave Spike is a first-generation electro-optical (EO) targeting pod, and the system is designed to be used only in daytime conditions and does not have real-time data transmission/communication capability like the new generation targeting pods (one-way or two-way data link). The AN/AVQ-23 Pave Spike was used to illuminate targets for the laser-guided 500- and 2,000-pound GBU-10/12 Paveway I/II air-to-ground munitions (they are also used in the launch tests of locally designed and produced air-to-ground munitions today). The AN/AVQ-23 Pave Spike Targeting Pods, which entered service in the 1970s, are still used on the F-4E 2020 Phantom-II Aircraft.
AN/ASX-1 TISEO
Although it is not actually a targeting pod, we should briefly mention the AN/ASX-1 TISEO System since it is an EO target detection and identification system that was also used by the Turkish Air Force for a certain period. Under the Peace Diamond-III Project, the AN/ASX-1 TISEO (Target Identification Set Electro-Optical) target detection and identification system also entered the TurAF inventory in July 1981, together with the 15 F-4E Phantom-II aircraft supplied from the Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Center in the USA (AMARC, the center was renamed the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group/AMARG in May 2007). F-4E Phantom II Aircraft equipped with AN/ASX-1 TISEO were assigned to the 173rd Squadron, which was established in the same year for all-weather interception role. The TISEO is a cylindrical 1st generation telescopic television (TV) camera with a high-resolution lens (two magnification levels) that is attached to the left-wing leading edge of the F-4E Phantom II Aircraft. Although it is actually designed for air-to-air combat, it also enables detection and identification of ground targets from long distances in good weather conditions when necessary. In open sources, the maximum range of TISEO is given as 74.1km/40nm (it is stated that it can identify a combat aircraft from 15 miles away). There is currently no TISEO equipped F-4E or F-4E 2020 Phantom II Aircraft in the TurAF inventory.
LANTIRN System and AN/AAQ-14 Targeting and AN/AAQ-13 Navigation Pods
The TurAF gained its first modern Targeting and Navigation Pod capability, which can operate in day and night, with 60 LANTIRN Pods (40 AN/AAQ-13 Navigation and 20 AN/AAQ-14 Targeting pods) procured under the Peace Moon Project, valued at US$183 Million, as part of the Peace Onyx-I Program. Within the project framework, which was realized via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) channel, spare parts, logistic support, base-level maintenance/repair capability, and a comprehensive training package were also purchased. As a result of the political tension between the two countries at that time, the contract for the LANTIRN follow-on-order could only be finalized in November 1997, after a delay of about two years, and an additional 20 AN/AAQ-14 pods were ordered. The second batch of AN/AAQ-14 Targeting Pods was received in 1999. The 161st Squadron "Bat" (Yarasa) of the 6th Main Jet Base stationed in Bandırma and the 181st Squadron "Leopard" (Pars) of the 8th Main Jet Base stationed in Diyarbakır were modernized with the LANTIRN System in 1994 and 2001 respectively and became the strategic Squadrons of the TurAF. The F-16 Simulators, which are used by the 161st and 181st Squadrons, were also modernized to allow LANTIRN training. Initially, the TurAF planned to equip the 162nd Squadron with LANTIRN capability after the 161st Squadron. However, due to the absence of a LANTIRN capable Squadron in eastern Turkey, the 181st Squadron was modernized with the LANTIRN System in 2001, after the TurAF's decision in July 2000, and became the second LANTIRN Squadron of the Turkish Air Force.
The TurAF F-16C/D Block 40M Aircraft equipped with the LANTIRN System have a WAR (Wide Angle Raster) type HUD (Head-Up Display) instead of the standard WAC (Wide Angle Conventional) HUD. The dual optic WAR HUD with a wider field of view was developed to enable the pilot to see the green-colored synthetic FLIR image sent from the LANTIRN Navigation (AN/AAQ-13) Pod better/clearer during flight. The 20° x 15° field-of-view of the WAC HUD was increased to 30° x 18° with the larger WAR HUD. The WAR HUD is also featured on F-16C/D Block 50+ Aircraft equipped with Sniper XR Advanced Targeting Pods (ATP) and LANTIRN ER Navigation Pods.
Turkey made an official request to the US Government in the last months of 1989 to acquire the Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) product LANTIRN System, which provided the F-16C/D Block 40 Aircraft that form the main strike force of the Turkish Air Force, with the capability to operate more effectively 24/7 including in night conditions. The request was forwarded to the US Congress on February 5, 1990, and following Congress's approval, an LOA (Letter of Offer and Acceptance) was signed between the US Department of Defense Pentagon and the Turkish Ministry of National Defense (MoND/MSB) on March 23, 1990. According to the agreement, the first delivery would be completed in 1992. With this order consisting of 60 pods in total, Turkey became the second foreign country to order the LANTIRN System after South Korea.
The LANTIRN Navigation (AN/AAQ-13) Pod, which has been used by the US Air Force (USAF) since the beginning of 1989, consists of a Terrain-Following Radar (LPI type Ku-Band AN/APN-237A directly connected to the F-16's autopilot system), Forward-Looking Infrared Camera (21 x 28-degree angle of view), Power Supply Unit (PSU), Environmental Control Unit (ECU), and an internal computer connected to the HUD. The LANTIRN Navigation Pod is 198.5cm in length, 30.5cm in diameter, and weighs 195kg. Thanks to its terrain-following radar, the AN/AAQ-13 Pod stabilizes the aircraft at the altitude chosen by the pilot between 100ft-1,000ft (30m-300m), automatically adjusts the altitude according to the slopes, and prevents the plane from hitting obstacles during low-level flight. The FLIR, which is an integrated part of the pod, detects and identifies any object that emits heat at night even in complete darkness and transmits the image of the terrain and the target in green tones to the pilot via the HUD. Thanks to the LANTIRN Navigation Pod, the F-16 pilot can take advantage of the landscape, preventing enemy radars from seeing him and the aircraft. However, since the pod transmits radiofrequency (RF), the aircraft's presence can be detected if the enemy has a Passive Radar and Electronic Support (ES) systems.
The LANTIRN Targeting (AN/AAQ-14) Pod, which entered service at the end of 1989, consists of a FLIR sensor capable of detecting targets from long ranges with an 8-inch aperture (has two modes, WFOV, for target detection and tracking, 5.87 x 5.87 degrees, and NFOV, for target selection and locking, 1.65 x 1.65 degrees), Multi-Mode Automatic Target Tracker, Laser Rangefinder, Laser Designator, a firing system called the Missile Boresight Correlator for automatic lock-on of AGM-65D imaging infrared (IIR) Maverick missiles, Power Supply Unit (PSU), Environmental Control Unit (ECU) and an internal computer. The LANTIRN Targeting (AN/AAQ-14) Pod is 250cm long, 38.1cm in diameter, and weighs 245kg. The Liquid-cooled AN/AAQ-14 Targeting Pod features an older generation Flash Lamp-Pumped Laser Rangefinder and Laser Designator (the coolant may leak in time, which can negatively affect life and performance of the lens). Therefore, 2nd generation LANTIRN Targeting Pods can designate fixed and mobile ground/surface targets up to a maximum altitude of 25,000ft and direct laser-guided munition to marked targets (maximum operating altitude of the Flash Lamp-Pumped Laser is 25,000ft). With the AN/AAQ-14 Targeting Pod, the pilot can view targets in the operation area from 15 nautical miles away and lock-on the desired target before entering the firing range, thus considerably increasing the probability of finding and destroying hostile elements.
AselPOD Electro-Optical Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Targeting System
The second phase of the Targeting Pod Project, which was initiated to increase the precision attack capabilities of the TurAF day and night in all weather conditions, covers the development of 20 (4 prototypes + 16 serial production) AselPOD Targeting Pods to be used in F-16 and F-4E 2020 Phantom-II aircraft by Aselsan using completely indigenous and up-to-date technologies, and their integration into the aircraft.
Aselsan's share in the US$51,550 Million AselPOD Development and Integration Project contract was stated to be US$50 Million while the share of Eskisehir 1st Air Maintenance Factory Directorate (1st AMFD), which was tasked with the integration of the AselPOD to the F-4E 2020 and F-16C/D aircraft, was planned to be US$1.5 Billion. The contract of the AselPOD Development and Integration Project only included the development, prototype manufacturing (4 units), and integration processes. The Serial Production of the additional 16 pods was decided to be carried out under a separate contract depending on the prototypes' success.
According to the Program Schedule, the AselPOD Project would be realized in 8 Phases:
System Requirements Determination Phase (it would take about 6 months),
Preliminary Design Phase (It would take 6 months),
Detail Design Phase (It would take 12 months),
Testing and Validation Phase (It would take about 9 months),
Factory Qualification Tests (it would take about 6 months),
Factory Tests (it would take about 15 months),
Aircraft Integration (from the third quarter of 2007 to the third quarter of 2011, and to cover both aircraft integration and the System Integration Lab/SIL studies),
Aircraft Tests (included both ground and flight tests with F-4E 2020 and F-16C/D Block 40 and would last from the third quarter of 2010 to the third quarter of 2011).
Accordingly, the first AselPOD Targeting Pod was planned to be developed in 37 months and complete the ground tests in the 52nd month and the flight tests in the 61st month. However, this goal could not be achieved. At the contract signing ceremony, the development cost of the project was announced as US$39 Million, and the unit cost of each pod was reported as US$1.8 Million.
Due to the high altitude and long-range requirements, AselPOD, which was initially planned to use a 2nd generation detector, was equipped with a locally designed 3rd generation 640x512 pixel Focal Plane Array (FPA) thermal camera (FLIR, has two viewing angles, Wide and Narrow) operating at 3-5 Micron Midwave Infrared (MWIR), 768x576 pixel black and white daytime camera (CCD-TV), and a four-axis gimbal (a 180-pixel scanner is used in LANTIRN), and a Focal Plane Staring Array with a resolution of 640x512 pixels is used in the Sniper ATP. The daytime camera of AselPOD has two viewing angles, wide and narrow, and a higher resolution than the one used in Sniper ATP). Unlike the veteran AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN Targeting Pod and AselFLIR-300T FLIR System with Flash Lamp-Pumped Laser Rangefinder/Designator, Diode-Pumped Laser Rangefinder and Designator are used in AselPOD as in the Sniper ATP. Thus, precise target designation/engagement with AselPOD at altitudes above 20,000ft will be possible (maximum operating altitude of Flash Lamp-Pumped Laser is 25,000ft). The operating altitude of AselPOD, which also has a Laser Pointer and Laser Spot Tracker, is estimated to be 40,000-45,000ft (50,000ft for Sniper ATP). Primarily used as a Targeting Pod, AselPOD can also be used for navigation during the night thanks to its 28x21° view angle thermal camera with Super Wide Field-of-View (SFoV) mode (Same as AN/AAQ-13 LANTIRN Navigation Pod, Sniper ATP does not have this feature). Thanks to its nationally developed software, the thermal images obtained with the SFoV mode can be reflected on the HUD. Thanks to this feature tested on the F-4E 2020 Aircraft during flight tests, when it looks at the ground from a certain angle, the AselPOD will be able to function as a Navigation Pod (although AselPOD is also certified for F-4E 2020 Aircraft, they still operate with the first-generation AN/AVQ-23 Pave Spike electro-optical targeting pod since the Air Force did not integrate the AselPOD into the F-4E 2020s, which were planned to be retired in 2020). Unlike the liquid-cooled AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN, AselPOD is an air-cooled targeting pod.
AselPOD is 2.35m long, 43cm wide, and weighs approximately 240kg. It can track up to eight targets simultaneously with its IR and TV cameras (black and White). The gimbal part where the pod's sensors are located has +45° to -150° elevation capability. AselPOD has 3x optical and three digital magnification levels (2x, 4x, and 8x). The system can designate a target from 25km and detect an F-16 aircraft from 45km and a main battle tank from 15km. The Turkish Air Force states the maximum range of the pod to be 55km. Equipped with a 128GB capacity Solid State Recorder, AselPOD can store flight records for an average of eight sorties. An Aselsan official, whom I had the opportunity to meet before, pointed out that this capacity can be increased even more in the Serial Production Phase, and HDMI cameras or SAR radar can be integrated into the system in the future if required. The Aselsan official also stated that Aselsan engineers developed a debriefing software for AselPOD. Since AselPOD can accurately detect the target's location, course, and speed thanks to its Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), the carrier aircraft can also use INS/GPS guided air-to-ground munitions with great precision in addition to Laser Guided Bombs. Moreover, if the aircraft's INS system malfunctions, it can navigate through AselPOD.
To meet the new generation EO/IR Targeting Pod needs of the TurAF, New Generation EO/IR Targeting Pod development project studies were initiated in early 2019. Continuing its studies in this context, Aselsan organized a New Generation EO/IR Targeting Pod Development Workshop on February 26, 2020, in cooperation with the SSB and the participation of senior personnel from the Turkish Armed Force (TAF) and other security forces. The purpose of the Workshop, in which SSB Vice President Mustafa ŞEKER also participated, was announced as sharing existing capabilities and studies for the next generation Targeting Pod that is planned to be developed for use in air platforms and evaluating the needs of users regarding reconnaissance-surveillance and targeting.
AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR Advanced Targeting and LANTIRN ER Navigation Pods
30 3rd generation AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) and 30 AN/AAQ-13 LANTIRN ER (Extended Range) 3rd generation Navigation Pods were procured from the USA through FMS channel for 30 F-16C/D Block 50+ Aircraft purchased under the Peace Onyx-IV project. However, the Sniper XR Targeting Pods can also be used in the F-16C/D Block 40M and Block 50M Aircraft when required, thanks to the upgrades carried out under Peace Onyx-III (PO-III) program. LANTIRN ER navigation pods are not a new production; they were supplied from the US Air Force (USAF) stocks and were delivered to the Turkish Air Force after being modernized.
A US$118.3 million contract for the pods was signed between Lockheed Martin and the US Government on December 11, 2009 (the US Department of Defense, Pentagon, Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on September 26, 2008). The delivery of pods (produced under Lot-9) to the Turkish Air Force started in 2011, and the deliveries were completed in July 2012. The contract included training of TurAF personnel, relevant spare parts, and logistic support materials.
Thanks to its 3rd generation 512x640 pixel Focal Plane Array operating at 3-5 Micron Mid-wave Infrared (MWIR), the Sniper XR Advanced Targeting Pod offers both higher resolution images and 2 to 3 times higher detection range capability compared to 2nd generation pods such as LANTIRN. Thanks to the Diode-Pumped Laser Rangefinder and Laser Designator, the Sniper XR ATP can provide precise target designation/engagement from an altitude of 50,000ft and can be used against fixed and mobile land as well as air targets up to a maximum range of 86nm. According to open sources, the Sniper ATP Targeting Pod can target/engage a truck at 22nm or a 737-passenger plane at 27nm. Lockheed Martin has delivered over 1,450 Sniper XR Advanced Targeting Pods, which are currently used on 14 different platforms, to 27 international customers and the USAF.
Consisting of 39 interchangeable lightweight LRUs, Sniper XR ATP is 30.5cm in diameter, 252cm in length, weighs 202kg and has a +5/-155 degree viewing angle. Thanks to its aggressive and innovative design, all those ruggedized LRUs can be replaced during flight without using special tools or support equipment. With a mean time between failures (MTBF) of over 600 hours, the Sniper XR ATP can also provide precise target coordinate information for INS/GPS guided J-Series air-to-ground munitions. The Sniper ATP Lot-9 Targeting Pods delivered to the TurAF include several new hardware and algorithms compared to previous versions. In this context, Lot 9 Sniper Pod technology offers the user new capabilities such as a new data link with analog 'video downlink' capability, improved multi-motion target tracker, ability to engage moving targets with old and new generation weapons, and real-time weapon damage estimation radius displays to reduce the potential for collateral damage.
The most advanced Sniper XR ATP version is the Sniper ATP-SE (Sensor Enhancement) version developed for the USAF under the contract signed in October 2015. The deliveries of the Sniper ATP-SE started in the fourth quarter of 2016. Previously manufactured Sniper ATP pods can be upgraded to the Sniper ATP-SE level by installing improvement kits consisting of LRUs. The new Sniper ATP-SE version offers further enhanced capabilities with newly developed sensors, a two-way data link, and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (NTSIR) modes.
The 3rd generation LANTIRN ER Navigation Pod can operate at an altitude of 40,000ft compared to its predecessor, the 2nd generation LANTIRN Navigation Pod. Additionally, it has several outstanding features such as increased detection and identification range, increased image quality, improved image processing/exploitation capability, 3rd generation 640x512 pixel Focal Plane Array (FPA) 28x21° view angle thermal camera operating at 3-5 Micron Mid-wave Infrared (MWIR), NVG compatible IR designator, and the ability to generate real-time GPS coordinates. According to the product brochure, the LANTIR ER has doubled the stand-off range compared to its predecessor, while the reliability has been increased by 50%, and the operating and support costs have decreased by more than 60%. The LANTIRN ER Navigation Pod is 198.6cm long, 38.1 in diameter, and weighs 204.1kg.
DB-110 Digital Tactical Reconnaissance System
Within the scope of the Turkish Aerial Reconnaissance Program (TARP), four 3rd generation DB-110 Digital Tactical Reconnaissance Systems to be used in TurAF F-16C/D Block 30TM Aircraft, a total of three Ground Image Exploitation Stations (GIPS/one fixed and two transportable), and three Ground Data Link Terminals that will transfer reconnaissance data to the Fixed and Mobile Ground Control Stations (GCS) were procured under the US$109.6 million contract signed between Aselsan and UTC Aerospace Systems Collins Aerospace on December 24, 2012.
As will be remembered, after the retirement of the RF-4E/TM Reconnaissance Aircraft equipped with the CA-880 Strategic and Tactical Aerial Reconnaissance System on March 12, 2015, the reconnaissance missions started to be carried out by the 142nd Reconnaissance Squadron "Gazelle" (Ceylan) F-16C/D Blok-30TM Aircraft equipped with the DB-110 EO/IR Digital Tactical Reconnaissance System since March 2015.
Before the July 15th Coup Attempt, the F-16C/D Block-30TM Aircraft of the 142nd Reconnaissance Squadron located at the "Raider" (Akıncı) 4th Main Jet Base (Kahramankazan district, Ankara) reached the Initial Operational Capability (IOC) with the 3rd generation DB-110 EO/IR Digital Tactical Reconnaissance System on March 10, 2015. However, after the coup attempt, Akıncı Air Base was re-designated with its former name, "Mürted." The base's status was downgraded with a governmental decree issued under the state of emergency, and the three air squadrons were deactivated. The aircraft were transferred to other Air Force Bases. In this context, 16 F-16C / D aircraft of the 142nd Reconnaissance Squadron were transferred from Ankara to the Eskişehir 1st Main Jet Base and then used to revive the 113th Reconnaissance Squadron, which was disbanded in April 2014 due to the decommissioning of RF-4E/TM Phantom-II reconnaissance aircraft in its inventory. Thus, the former 113th Squadron "Light" (Işık") redesignated as the 113th Reconnaissance Squadron "Gazelle" (Ceylan). In this context, the infrastructure previously established in Akıncı for the DB-110 Digital Tactical Reconnaissance System was moved to Eskişehir and re-established there (Fixed and Transportable GIPS, Maintenance, and Intelligence facilities). Today, the 113th Squadron operates F-16C/D Block 30TM aircraft equipped with DB-110 Digital Tactical Reconnaissance System for reconnaissance missions and F-16C/D Block 30 and Block 50 aircraft for interception missions.
To meet the increasing reconnaissance needs of the TurAF, a new agreement worth US$23 million was signed with Collins Aerospace for the supply of 2 additional DB-110 Pods in the first half of 2018. According to the information we have received, the production of the pods, which were previously announced to be delivered in 2019-2020, has been completed, and the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) stage has been started. However, it is claimed that the deliveries could not be completed due to the export license problems.
Designed for F-16 Aircraft and carried inside a 19ft (6m) under-fuselage external fuel tank, the DB-110 is a dual-band 110-inch focal length reconnaissance system that is capable of producing high-resolution imagery from nadir (wide and super-wide FoV) to stand-off ranges (narrow FoV) day or night and provides air-to-ground communication over constrained bandwidth systems. According to the manufacturer, the DB-110 can gather images up to a maximum of 160km (86nm) and offers three different viewing angles (wide, super-wide, narrow FoV) for reconnaissance missions at altitudes of 2,000ft (610m) and 50,000ft (15,200m). Thanks to its Super Wide FoV new optics, DB-110 Pod can capture images at very low altitudes while passing over the target at high speeds.
For the integration of DB-110 Digital Reconnaissance Pods, a specified number of F-16C/D Block-30TM Aircraft were upgraded to be compatible with DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods. This project was carried out by the Technology and Weapon System Development Command of the 1st Air Supply and Maintenance Center with national capabilities, and the 401st Test Squadron under the Weapon System Development Command carried out the necessary test flights. Under the F-16C/D Block 30 Structural Improvement Project, the service life of 35 TurAF F-16C/D Block 30 Aircraft was increased from 8,000 hours to 12,000 hours. On July 25, 2020, the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) announced from its social media account that structural improvement of the first F-16 Block-30 aircraft as part of the F-16 Structural Improvement Project was completed and delivered to the Turkish Air Force. F-16C/D Block 30 aircraft were also equipped with Aselsan's IFF Mode 5/S Transponder under the contract signed between the SSB and Aselsan in 2018. F-16C/D Block-30TM aircraft can conduct extended long-range flights with DB-110 on reconnaissance missions. For example, one of the planes stayed in the air for about 7 hours during a flight
