The F-15C Eagle is an air-to-air fighter.  That’s what it does, and that’s what its pilots love.  In fact, saying the air-to-ground “b-word” (bomb) is even forbidden in the community (among other linguistic games).

That isn’t stopping the Eagles from trying out some of the air-to-ground toys.

The Air Force Times reports a National Guard F-15C unit has been testing a Sniper pod, an air-to-ground targeting pod, on its Eagles: 

For nearly a year, the Air National Guard has been flying and evaluating an F-15C with a Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting pod attached to its underbelly…

Adding a targeting pod could allow an F-15 pilot to visually track aircraft at greater distances and obtain information for that mission.

In essence, the pod would be a glorified long-lens camera, with a couple of neat features.

Though they’re still being upgraded, the F-15C was supposed to be phased out and replaced by the F-22, though its future is less certain due to the reduced number of F-22s the Air Force ultimately purchased.