ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill: Northrop Grumman Corporation today announced the achievement of over one million operational hours for the company’s LITENING precision targeting and sensor systems currently deployed with U.S. and allied forces.
“LITENING continues to be the precision targeting system most called on, indicated by the one million operational hours milestone,” said Mike Lennon, vice president of Targeting and Surveillance Programs at Northrop Grumman’s Defensive Systems Division. “LITENING has pioneered such advanced targeting technologies as precisely aligned and stable sensors, coordinated air-to-ground and air-to-air capabilities through laser spot search and track and laser markers, data links for coordinated air-ground attack and J-series weapons employment capabilities, and we continue to refine our system today as proven by the cutting-edge LITENING G4.”
Of the more than one million hours accumulated to date, just under half have been logged under deployed and combat conditions, with an operational availability of over 97 percent for over two consecutive years, performance unequaled in industry, Lennon noted.
LITENING Advanced Targeting (AT) pods have proven their combat capabilities and inherent flexibility to adapt to changing operational requirements. Rapid integration on a wide variety of aircraft (AV-8B, A-10A/C, B-52H, EA-6Bs, F-15E, F-16 and F/A-18s), plus the wide fielding of internal data links are just two examples of the benefits realized by the warfighter. Customers for LITENING include all components of the U.S. Air Force (active duty, Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)), the U.S. Marine Corps (active duty and reserves), the Italian and Spanish navies, the Israeli Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the Finnish Air Force and the Portuguese Air Force.
Since its introduction in 1999 with the ANG and AFRC, the LITENING system has undergone four spiral upgrades to ensure continued combat relevance in an ever-changing battlespace. LITENING G4 is the next step in the evolution of the LITENING family and applies the latest in sensor technology to achieve unprecedented levels of target detection, recognition and identification ranges. The LITENING G4 pod includes an advanced 1k forward-looking infrared sensor, a 1,024 x 1,024 pixel charge-coupled device (1k CCD), laser target imaging, advanced high power laser and advanced next-generation data links. Deliveries of the LITENING G4 system will begin in mid-2009.
The LITENING G4 technology and capability is also available in a kit form that allows existing LITENING users to upgrade their currently fielded LITENING pods to this new and advanced standard.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.
