Just over a year after their reception, and while they are being deployed in combat routinely and with increasing frequency, the Ukrainian Air Force’s F-16 fighters continue to mature and expand their capabilities. The most recent milestone—confirmed through images that have gone viral on social media—is that they have begun to be equipped with the Sniper/PANTERA targeting pod, providing and expanding their ability to designate ground targets, as well as enhancing their intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
Thanks to Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), a viral image began circulating on social media and other platforms. Through this image, an F-16—presumably returning from a mission—was observed equipped with the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pod, also known as PANTERA in its export version, supplied to many current and former users of the Fighting Falcon. In this particular case, it concerns Norway and the Netherlands, countries that are in the process of or have already completed the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine along with equipment associated with the combat platform.
As Lockheed Martin previously noted, on the occasion of the pod’s use on a Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16, the company describes PANTERA as “the export version of the Sniper XR targeting pod, which was selected by the United States Air Force …” adding that it “… incorporates a high-resolution, mid-wave, third-generation forward-looking infrared (FLIR), infrared pointer, dual-mode laser, day television, laser spot tracker, and advanced algorithms in a lightweight, aerodynamic pod.”
“PANTERA’s long-range FLIR and TV imagery allows pilots to avoid enemy air defenses and preserve national assets. Its unique common aperture and rock-steady stabilization permit subsonic and supersonic performance that is not possible with other pods. The pod is designed for one-half the life cycle cost and much easier maintenance than all other targeting pods.”
Although no further details were provided beyond what is already known about the capabilities of these types of targeting systems, it can only be presumed that the Sniper/PANTERA pods are part of the support and equipment package that the Netherlands or Norway have supplied to Ukraine as part of their F-16 transfers.
In total, based on official announcements and publicly available documentation, the Dutch government is believed to have completed the transfer of 24 F-16 MLU fighters, while continuing to provide support in other key areas necessary for sustaining the combat aircraft.
For its part, with less information publicly available, the Norwegian government is believed to have transferred fourteen (14) F-16 Block 10/15 aircraft. In fact, it must be noted that Washington, through Congressional approval, gave Oslo the green light to transfer “… 22 F-16 Block 10/15 aircraft, engines, support equipment, test stands, tools, maintenance materials, simulators, spare parts, manuals, and technical documents, among others,” as detailed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee in February 2024—equipment among which the pods observed days ago could be included.
Returning to the capabilities offered by the Sniper/PANTERA pods, beyond their secondary ISR roles, it is important to highlight the range of possibilities they could open up in the future when paired with guided munitions for the F-16. Naturally, this would always depend on U.S. authorization for their installation and proper integration.
As recent reports indicate, U.S. F-16s operating under U.S. Central Command have been deployed with targeting pods and APKWS guided rockets to successfully counter various types of low-performance drones, reserving more complex and high-value weapons, such as Sidewinder and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, for more sophisticated threats like cruise missiles or higher-capability unmanned aerial vehicles.
Lastly, although this is merely an assumption, in the current context facing Ukraine—where massive Russian drone attacks are a major concern—the deployment of Ukrainian F-16s in an air-to-air configuration similar to that of their USAF counterparts could provide greater efficiency in aerial coverage missions against unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as improve the cost-effectiveness balance of the war effort.
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