AN/ASQ-170

AN/ASQ-170
Name	AN/ASQ-170
Type	Targeting pod
Origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin
In service	21st century
Used by	United States Air Force

AN/ASQ-170 The AN/ASQ-170 is an electro-optical/infrared targeting pod developed for precision targeting, reconnaissance, and targeting-data dissemination. It integrates laser designation, shortwave infrared, medium-wave infrared, and high-resolution television sensors to support strike aircraft and unmanned platforms. The system was developed to meet requirements for survivability, situational awareness, and interoperability with weapons systems and command networks.

Development and Design

Development began under contracts involving Lockheed Martin, with participation from Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and BAE Systems in subsystem supply and integration. Initial studies referenced design concepts from programs associated with the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-15E Strike Eagle, and A-10 Thunderbolt II upgrade initiatives, while requirements were influenced by lessons from the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Prototype demonstrations included collaborations with the Air Force Research Laboratory, DARPA, and industrial research groups supporting the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency procurement model. Design objectives aligned with sensors and avionics standards promulgated by the National Reconnaissance Office and interoperability frameworks used by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The pod architecture combined stabilized gimbals developed in partnership with contractors experienced from the Electro-Optical Targeting System lineage and used processor modules derived from platforms designed for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System and avionics suites certified under MIL-STD-1553 interfaces. Laser designator modules drew on legacy technology common to programs supporting the GBU-12 Paveway II, GBU-38 JDAM, and collaborative laser-guided munition developments with industry teams that included engineers formerly engaged on HARM and Sidewinder seekers. System integration testing used ranges and instrumentation from facilities operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

Technical Specifications

The pod housed multi-spectral sensors: a high-resolution television sensor, a shortwave infrared channel, and a medium-wave infrared thermal imager, plus a laser spot tracker and an eye-safe laser designator. Electronics used solid-state focal plane arrays sourced from suppliers that previously supported programs with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Data links supported video and target coordinates compatible with mission systems used aboard platforms such as the MQ-9 Reaper, F-22 Raptor, and F-35 Lightning II lineage testbeds. Power conditioning and cooling relied on units using technology cross-referenced with systems in the B-2 Spirit ancillary equipment suite.

Stabilization and pointing accuracy were achieved through inertial measurement units and gyrostabilized mounts based on components from firms that contributed to the Global Positioning System receiver industry and the Inertial Navigation System market. The pod's mission computer supported formats aligned with the Distributed Common Ground System and message standards used by the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System. Environmental hardening met specifications similar to those required by the MIL-STD-810 standard and electromagnetic compatibility tested against guidance from the Federal Communications Commission and Defense Information Systems Agency protocols.

Operational History

Deployments began in support of tactical reconnaissance, close air support, and interdiction sorties flown by aircraft assigned to commands involved in contingencies associated with the United States Central Command and partnerships with coalition forces from the United Kingdom, Australia, and NATO members. Units operating the pod participated in exercises such as Red Flag, Green Flag, and bilateral training events coordinated with the Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force. Operational evaluations were conducted at bases operated by the United States Air Force and the United States Navy for interoperability trials with carrier-based data networks influenced by Carrier Strike Group concepts.

Feedback from combat and peacetime sorties informed tactics, techniques, and procedures adopted by squadrons that had previous experience with pods like those integrated on AV-8B Harrier II and EA-6B Prowler airframes. Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance tasking cycles incorporated imagery exploitation workflows used by units attached to the Air Force Special Operations Command and the Air Combat Command.

Variants and Upgrades

Planned and fielded variants included sensor upgrades leveraging focal plane improvements similar to those applied to the Advanced Targeting Pod family and software-defined enhancements to video processing akin to developments in the Distributed Aperture System. Communication upgrades enabled compatibility with datalinks developed by contractors who previously supported the Link 16 community and programs for the Common Data Link. Later configurations integrated automated target recognition algorithms inspired by work from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University research centers funded through cooperative agreements with the National Science Foundation.

Hardware refresh cycles matched lifecycle management practices used by programs overseen by the Defense Contract Management Agency and included modular replacement kits like those issued for the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper and AN/AAQ-28 LITENING families.

Operators and Deployment

Primary operators were units within the United States Air Force, with secondary adoption by allied air arms that included elements of the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and selected NATO partner air forces. Deployments were staged from airbases such as Nellis Air Force Base, Eglin Air Force Base, and Dover Air Force Base for training and operational sorties. Forward basing supported coalition operations from locations including Al Udeid Air Base, Al Dhafra Air Base, and logistical staging through hub facilities like Ramstein Air Base and Scott Air Force Base.

Export and foreign military sales were governed by regimes managed by the United States Department of State and negotiated with partner ministries of defense in coordination with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Incidents and Evaluations

Safety reports and evaluation reports were produced following in-flight incidents and maintenance discrepancies; investigations involved offices such as the Air Force Safety Center and procuring authorities including the Program Executive Officer community. Independent evaluations of sensor performance referenced test data collected at ranges overseen by the National Radar Cross Section Facility and analysis centers like the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. Findings led to software patches, sensor recalibrations, and maintenance bulletins distributed through channels used by the Defense Logistics Agency and depot-level maintenance organizations at bases aligned with the Air Force Sustainment Center.

Inspection reports occasionally coordinated with congressional oversight from committees in the United States Congress responsible for armed services authorizations and appropriations; procurement outcomes informed lessons shared at symposiums hosted by the Association of the United States Army and the Air & Space Forces Association.

Category:Aircraft sensors