Northrop Grumman has completed the initial flight test of its LITENING targeting pod on the US Navy’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet multirole fighter aircraft.
During testing, the electro-optical/infrared pod was subjected to a series of manoeuvres that mimic real-world operational conditions.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The LITENING pod is designed to locate, identify, and track targets over long distances. It supports various missions such as precision targeting, air superiority, close air support, surveillance, and humanitarian operations.
The LITENING pod’s latest enhancements offer a 50% increase in resolution and extended range, alongside improved air-to-air modes and features designed to reduce pilot workload.
The pod’s three-aperture configuration accommodates larger colour daylight, mid-wave IR, short-wave IR, and long-wave IR sensors, allowing for a broader spectral coverage and leaving adversaries with fewer places to hide.
In early 2022, the US Navy chose LITENING advanced targeting pod to replace the legacy targeting pods on the F/A-18 fleet. The pod was evaluated on the F/A-18 Super Hornet in a series of combat mission-based drills and manoeuvres in September the same year.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataLITENING is a component of the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Block II, the US Navy’s carrier-based strike fighter, for which Northrop Grumman plays a role in design and production.
As a principal subcontractor to Boeing, Northrop Grumman is responsible for crafting the aircraft’s aft/centre fuselage section and vertical tails, as well as integrating all related subsystems at its El Segundo, California facility.
Additionally, Northrop Grumman has secured a three-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract worth $197.5m from the US Navy.
It is for the ongoing production of the FMU-139D/B fuse, which serves the US Navy, Air Force, and allied nations.
The FMU-139D/B is an electronic fuse system that replaces nearly all mechanical components and supersedes three legacy bomb fuses.
The contract also includes options for trainer fuses and accessories for the FMU-139D/B. Manufacturing of the fuse will continue at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia, where the production process is more than 70% automated.
Northrop Grumman weapon systems vice-president Frank DeMauro said: “These electronic fuses, produced with automated technologies, ensure that safety is the underlying foundation – safety built into the design, safety in manufacturing, and safety for the warfighter.”
