LANTIRN consists of two pods which are mounted under the air intake.
With this advanced equipment the aircraft has the capabilities of a
forward-looking IR sensor and terrain following radar. This means the
pilot may also access a TV image on his MFD. The targeting pod contains
the FLIR tracker and a laser designator/ranger which allows designation
of targets at night using laser guided ordinance. Using the LANTIRN
equipment the pilot can fly with radar off allowing for greater
stealth.
LANTIRN (Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for
Night) is the world's combat–proven precision attack system. More than
1,400 pods are deployed by the US Air Force, Air National Guard and
Navy, and nine international air forces. The US Air Force has made a
commitment to fly and fight with LANTIRN until 2025. Three hardware
enhancements to the targeting pod comprise the basic LANTIRN 2000.
These additions are:
A quantum well, third-generation forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor.
A 40,000-foot altitude, diode-pumped laser.
A more compact, more powerful computer system.
LANTIRN 2000 delivers multi-mission success. It offers high-resolution
FLIR imagery with extended range and reliability. Greater target
detection, recognition and engagement ranges increase the probability
of a first-pass kill by 50 to 60 percent. Full exploitation of the
GBU-24 envelope ensures more kills per sortie at lower attrition rates.
New capabilities include air-to-air, reconnaissance, theater missile
defense, and battle damage assessment missions.
Thanks to ongoing research and development funding and cost of
ownership improvements, Lockheed Martin has modified a targeting pod
for the 21st century at minimal cost. Advances in processing, system
architecture and graphical user interface make LANTIRN 2000 support
equipment less costly, more reliable and easy to upgrade.
High performance and increased reliability of LANTIRN 2000
significantly reduce its cost of ownership and lower its operations and
support costs by 40 percent.
Quantum Well FLIR: The World's New Standard for Imagery
The 8- to 12- micron FLIR uses quantum well technology for low-cost
construction of extremely dense detector arrays. It extends weapon
standoff range more than 50 percent, adding the mission flexibility of
battle damage assessment and reconnaissance. Greater standoff range
ensures less aircraft attrition. This third-generation FLIR is 23
percent more reliable.
Diode-Pumped Laser: Greater Range and Reliability
The diode pumped laser operates at a greater range with a smaller spot
size. Its lower beam divergence, greater resolution and pointing
accuracy at 40,000 feet expand the altitude and range of the targeting
pod. The diode-pumped laser is 17 percent more reliable, thanks to an
improved power supply, fewer parts and a cooler operating temperature.
An eye-safe training laser with tactical performance and range is
integrated.
Enhanced Computer System: Smaller, Lighter, More Powerful
The LANTIRN 2000 computer is smaller, weighs half as much, and uses two
times less power than the computer it replaces. Throughput, memory and
reliability are optimized. Software, cabling and interfaces remain the
same.
LANTIRN 2000+: A Full Menu of Mission Capabilities
Lockheed
Martin continues to invest in research and development to keep LANTIRN
versatile, reliable and cost-effective. Additional options are:
A laser spot tracker to improve target identification and limit collateral damage.
A digital disk recorder for battle damage assessment and reconnaissance mission support.
An automatic target recognition system to reduce pilot workload by classifying high-priority targets.
A TV sensor, which has been successfully tested and flown, provides added capability around the clock.
