Northrop Grumman’s LITENING Achieves Operating Milestone

Northrop Grumman’s LITENING Advanced Targeting System hit the milestone of two million operating hours this past Tuesday.

To even hit one million hours in the life cycle of a military system is a signature accomplishment, making this feat all the more impressive.

"This is a significant milestone for the LITENING program and our team is proud to be part of that success. We look forward to our continued partnership with Northrop Grumman, providing war-winning capability to our aircrews," said David McCain, U.S. Air Force LITENING program manager.

The AN/AAQ-28(V) LITENING pod is a self-contained, multisensory system that enables pilots to detect, acquire, auto-track, and identify targets for highly accurate delivery of both conventional and precision-guided weapons.

The pods’ consistency is what has allowed it to be used under mission conditions so often.

With the use of a 24/7 worldwide support network, it has consistently kept its availability rate at above 98 percent. Out of LITENING’s two million flight hours, over one-third of them have been in combat conditions.

"LITENING's two million hours are a testament to both the effectiveness and the reliability of the system," said Jim Mocarski, vice president of Northrop Grumman’s airborne tactical sensors business unit. "Working side by side with our customers, we have developed the latest technologies in an affordable manner to keep the mission capability relevant."

Some of the LITENING targeting pod’s features include:

• Full 1K FLIR and CCD, the highest resolution available in any fielded targeting pod
• LITENING’s digital port, which brings digital, high definition video to the cockpit
• Laser imaging sensors for more accurate identification
• Color symbology for reduced pilot workload and integration with new cockpit displays
• Multiple fields of view for a complete view of the situation
• Advanced two-way plug-and-play datalinks, including NET-T integration, that seamlessly communicate with ROVER ground stations
• Flexible upgrade path to bring older pods to the latest configuration affordably.

The pod is currently flown by the United States Marine Corps, Air Force, and eight international customers. It is authorized for export to NATO countries including Canada, UK, and Korea.

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