MCKINNEY, Texas, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The new targeting pod used by U.S. carrier jets has passed the 100,000-hour mark of operational flight time, Raytheon said Wednesday.
The Texas-based aerospace company said the Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) pod has been operating at an availability rate above 80 percent aboard the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet flown by the Navy and Marine Corps.
"When you consider that ATFLIR's initial operational capability occurred in September 2003, it has been a relatively short time for the pod to reach this significant milestone," said Mike Crisp, Raytheon program manager for ATFLIR.
The system, known officially as the AN/ASQ-228 pod, is used to detect and track targets at ranges and altitudes that Raytheon says exceed other targeting systems. The auto-boresight alignment runs the targeting FLIR, electro-optical sensor and high-power laser through a common optical path "unmatched accuracy."
The 100,000 mark, which was achieved last month, is a big deal for the project and for Raytheon in general. The company has received contract awards totaling more than $200 million and provides jobs for more than 900 workers in McKinney and El Segundo, Calif.
The Navy's current order book totals 410 ATFLIR systems.
"We closed out 2006 with 161 pods delivered on the program and ahead of contract," Crisp said. "That's a full-rate production pace we're proud of."
