Air Force to Use Northrop LITENING Large Aperture Targeting Pod on Aircraft Fleet

The U.S. Air Force intends to integrate the Large Aperture variant of Northrop Grumman‘s LITENING targeting pod onto its inventory of aircraft.

Northrop said Tuesday that LITENING is an electro-optical/infrared targeting pod that works to detect, acquire, identify and track targets at extended ranges and that the LA variant offers new video and IR sensors and software that enable faster video processing and imaging at greater distances.

“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,” said James Conroy, vice president of electronic warfare and targeting at Northrop Grumman.

Conroy adds, “We are widening the aperture on how electro-optical/infrared targeting can contribute to mission success, with a more advanced and powerful pod.”

In early 2022, the U.S. Navy chose the LITENING targeting pod to replace the legacy targeting pods on its F/A-18 fleet.