Northrop Grumman is preparing to launch production of the latest version of its "LITENING" advanced targeting pod for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). According to a statement from the company in February 2024, the U.S. Air Force has selected the "LITENING" Large Aperture (LA) pod as an upgrade for its existing LITENING pod inventory.
"The 'LITENING' is a product line we have been developing for more than 25 years... We have been continuously upgrading it, incorporating the latest technology," said Jim Conroy, vice president of Electronic Warfare and Targeting at Northrop Grumman, on September 22 at the Air Force Association (AFA) 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, to Jane's Defence Weekly.
Northrop Grumman's LITENING Large Aperture Electro-Optical/Infrared Targeting and Surveillance Pod
He said, "We currently have digital pods and digital color pods in use in the operational area," and added, "equipping the color pod with a digital pod is a game-changing move." Conroy explained that the digital pod provides fully digital black-and-white images, clear enough to support decision-making. He stated that adding color capabilities allows pilots to see the same scenes that ground forces see, such as the specific color of a car.
"The next step is what is called the large aperture," Conroy said, explaining that a larger aperture increases the number of photons collected and expands the detection range. He added that the large aperture increases the detection range by about 50%. Conroy said that the new pod will also be equipped with a new camera with 50% higher resolution and a long-wave detector.
He said the latter enables air-to-air capability, "while still retaining all our other observation functions, including mid-wave, short-wave, digital cameras, television color, and all these functions are integrated into it."
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