Sniper or Litening 5: the contest for the Greek F-16 Viper’s new targeting pod

The selection of a new targeting pod for Greek F-16s has turned into an informal contest between Lockheed Martin’s American Sniper ATP / Sniper NTP and Rafael’s Israeli Litening 5. According to information obtained by NemesisHD, decisions are normally expected by the end of the year, and possibly within the next few days, depending on “the gifts Marco Rubio will bring.”

The targeting pod is one of the Hellenic Air Force’s oldest outstanding requirements. The 2021 US support arrangement for the Greek F-16s provided for repairs to the older LANTIRN pods, not their replacement. In September 2025 NemesisHD reported that discussions on the Air Force’s weapons package listed the purchase of the Sniper “or something similar” as necessary, with the contract to be finalized by 2027-2028. The “something similar” now has a name.

The two contenders at a glance

Sniper ATP (Lockheed Martin, United States). Sensors: a mid-wave infrared sensor and a high-definition television camera. It has been presented to the Hellenic Air Force General Staff (HAFGS), and provisions for the pod are already built into the F-16V Viper configuration.

Litening 5 (Rafael, Israel). Sensors: a 1K mid-wave infrared (MWIR) sensor, a long-range short-wave infrared (SWIR) sensor and a high-definition color camera, with an optional synthetic aperture radar (SAR). It has also been presented to the General Staff, and Greece is already among the users of Litening, with an earlier version.

Sniper ATP / NTP: Uncle Sam’s offer

The Sniper ATP / NTP (AN/AAQ-33) starts with a practical advantage. With the upgrade to the Viper configuration, the Greek F-16s already received the provisions to accommodate it, as a Lockheed Martin representative told NEMESIS HD when the upgrade began. The company has presented the pod to the General Staff several times, together with the IRST infrared search and track system. According to military sources, the Sniper NTP, the pod’s evolution, which is expected to enter production in 2027, has also been discussed.

Beyond its sensors, the Sniper has a laser designator and detector, a two-way imagery data link and the ability to generate target coordinates from long range. It is also the pod that routinely accompanies US packages for newly built F-16s: 26 in the notification for Morocco, 12 in the one for the Philippines and 16 in the January 2024 notification for Turkey, which has not yet been converted into a purchase.

Litening 5: the Israeli challenger

The Litening 5 is Rafael’s proposal and is no stranger to the General Staff, where it has been presented several times since 2022. The company describes it as the most widespread targeting pod in service today, with more than 1,800 pods in use and more than 2.2 million flight hours, two-thirds of them in real operations. Greece is among the users it names, with an earlier version.

Its distinguishing feature is the long-range short-wave infrared sensor, alongside the mid-wave sensor and the color camera. The pod tracks multiple targets at once, fixed and moving, on the ground and in the air, supports laser-guided and GPS-guided bombs, and comes with a ground station for mission preparation and debriefing. It is 2.2 meters long, 40.6 centimeters in diameter and weighs 220 kilograms.

Rafael also offers a Litening + SAR version. It adds an ELTA synthetic aperture radar that operates simultaneously with the electro-optical sensors. According to the company, it allows target identification in all weather, even above cloud, as well as tracking of moving ground and maritime targets. This version has a laser designator, detector and marker, an optional data link, and weighs 250 kilograms with the same dimensions. According to a briefing NEMESIS HD received on the pod at DEFEA 2025, no integration issues are expected on the Greek F-16 Vipers if it is selected.