LITENING targeting pod reaches one million flight hours

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. – Fielded in 2012, the fourth generation of Northrop Grumman Corporation’s LITENING advanced targeting pod has served in every major conflict since that time. Keeping watch over land forces during surveillance and strike missions, this mission capability has achieved a significant milestone: one million flight hours.

“Every one of these million hours was time spent in support of our warfighters, with many under actual combat conditions,” said Brent Toland, vice president of programs, land and avionics C4ISR, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems. “This connection to the mission is what drives us to continually improve the capability of LITENING, from its first generation in 1999 to today’s fourth generation and beyond.”

LITENING is in service now with all components of the combat Air Force, the Marine Corps and several international customers. It has been integrated on a wide range of platforms, including the AV-8B, A-10, B-52, C-130, F-15, F-16 and F/A-18.

In total, all generations of LITENING, including II, ER, AT and the fourth generation pods, have accumulated nearly three million operating hours.

LITENING features include high-definition video, 1K FLIR and CCD sensors, laser imaging sensors and multiple plug-and-play data link options to give warfighters a decisive advantage in their missions. Any LITENING pod can be upgraded to the current configuration, thanks to its modular design.

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