B-1B Lancer Equipped with Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod Successfully Tested in Flight

Released on Tuesday, June 10, 2008

ST. LOUIS, June 10, 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced it has successfully flight-tested an electro-optical/infrared targeting pod system designed for the B-1 bomber. A B-1 equipped with a Sniper XR electro-optical/infrared targeting pod completed a series of flights from the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

Boeing engineers have worked with the U.S. Air Force for the past 14 months to develop the targeting pods as part of an urgent combat need issued by the service. B-1 crews will use the new capability to positively identify stationary and moving targets, improving the bomber's ability to meet mission requirements. The targeting pod is scheduled to be deployed by late summer.

"The Air Force identified the need and the funding and asked how fast we could get this capability to the warfighter," said Mark Metevia, B-1 targeting pod project manager for Boeing. "We assembled a best-of-Boeing team and were able to cut our usual development cycle time in half."

Boeing designed the pod in Long Beach, Calif., and assembled the external pylon in Mesa, Ariz., with parts built in St. Louis. The company performed electrical testing in Huntington Beach, Calif., and modified the aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base and Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.