“Northrop Grumman’s LITENING Pod Takes to the Skies with Navy Super Hornet”
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s LITENING advanced targeting pod has successfully accomplished its initial test flights on the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet. The Navy opted for LITENING to replace outdated targeting pods on the F/A-18 fleet in early 2022.
“This inaugural flight showcased LITENING’s capability to swiftly integrate contemporary, upgradeable mission features into the Super Hornet,” stated James Conroy, vice president of navigation, targeting, and survivability at Northrop Grumman. “The pod’s digital video, autonomous target tracking, and laser sensors furnish Naval aviators with a completely new array of capabilities for operations over land and sea, while the adaptable growth potentials embedded in LITENING’s modular design guarantee that the pod can progress to accommodate evolving demands.”
Throughout the flight, pilots executed maneuvers and tasks reflective of combat scenarios, including ground moving target tracking, air-to-air targeting, and target designation. Additionally, the pilots activated the eye-safe training laser mode, enabling the pod to be utilized for realistic training exercises with ground combat controllers. The pilots successfully conducted these operations without prior training, demonstrating the user-friendly nature made feasible through extensive collaboration with the aviation sector.
LITENING is presently operational with the Marine Corps, Air Force, Air National Guard, and various international clients. Northrop Grumman has supplied over 900 LITENING pods to customers worldwide.
