▁first ▁field ed ▁on ▁Ap aches ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁ ▁Development ▁Lock he ed ▁Martin ▁signed ▁the ▁original ▁T AD S / PN VS ▁production ▁contract ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁T AD S / PN VS ▁system ▁was ▁field ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁Bo eing ▁Company ▁and ▁Lock he ed ▁Martin ▁agreed ▁to ▁initi ate ▁the ▁incorpor ation ▁of ▁new ▁technology ▁into ▁the ▁Ar row head ▁sensor ▁system ▁during ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁The ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁project ▁is ▁a ▁large - format ▁st aring ▁array ▁mid - wave ▁( MW ) ▁forward - looking ▁inf ra red ▁( F LI R ) ▁sensor ▁which ▁uses ▁the ▁st aring ▁mid - wave ▁integrated ▁det ector / co ol er ▁assembly ▁( ID CA ) ▁used ▁in ▁Lock he ed ▁Martin ' s ▁S ni per ▁Advanced ▁Target ing ▁Pod . ▁ ▁The ▁upgrade ▁is ▁designed ▁to ▁complement ▁the ▁excellent ▁obsc ur ant ▁pen etr ation ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁long - wave ▁( L W ) ▁sensor ▁with ▁a ▁longer - range , ▁smaller - field - of - view ▁M W ▁sensor ▁providing ▁the ▁Apache ▁air cre w ▁with ▁en hanced ▁electro - opt ical ▁target ing ▁performance ▁in ▁all ▁conditions . ▁The ▁new ▁M W ▁electro - opt ical ▁system ▁can ▁identify ▁targets ▁at ▁greater ▁ranges ▁than ▁the ▁long - wave ▁system . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁Ar row head