Northrop Grumman [NOC] will upgrade the Air Force’s fleet of LITENING targeting pods with a new large aperture (LA) pod that increases the range for aircrews to detect, track, identify, and acquire targets for different missions.
The new capabilities that come with LITENING LA have the same form factor as earlier versions of the LITENING pod and can be integrated into the legacy pods with no modifications, Northrop Grumman said on Tuesday.
More than 920 LITENING electro-optical/infrared sensing pods have been delivered for use on a range of aircraft, including Air Force A-10s, F-15s, F-16s, B-52s, C-130s, and unmanned MQ-9s, the company says on its website.
The LITENING LA features new sensors in multiple wavelengths to increase resolution and allow for imaging at greater ranges. It also includes faster video processing, greater image stabilization, continuous roll to keep imaging during maneuvers, and improved air and ground targeting modes to bolster accuracy and tracking.
“Just as the first LITENING targeting pod transformed close air support more than 20 years ago, LA’s passive targeting capabilities have the potential to change the way pilots approach combat in high-intensity conflicts,” James Conroy, vice president of electronic warfare and targeting at Northrop Grumman, said in a statement. “We are widening the aperture on how electro-optical/infrared targeting can contribute to mission success, with a more advanced powerful pod.”