The Air Force has chosen both Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to provide upgraded versions of their respective Sniper and Litening targeting pods through 2017. Under the Advanced Targeting Pod-Sensor Enhancement program, the Air Force intends to purchase up to 670 pods combined from both companies during that period. For that purpose, it has entered into an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract arrangement with both suppliers that has a total potential value of $2.3 billion, if all options are exercised. Lockheed stated in a release Wednesday that it has won a 60-percent work share and Northrop’s own release indicates that it is eligible for 40 percent of the potential pod sales. Both companies said they have received initial task orders worth roughly $25 million apiece for testing their new sensor enhancement configurations.
The Pentagon plans to use U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s to deport 5,400 people currently detained by Customs and Border Protection, officials announced Jan. 22, the first act in President Donald Trump’s sweeping promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants and increase border security.