Full-colour video enhances Litening
A Targeting Pod So Advanced, It Can See The Future. (Photo: Northrop Grumman)
USAF Reserve and Air National Guard F-16s fly with upgraded targeting pods.
Upgraded Litening advanced targeting pods with full-colour and digital video capability have been rolled out for the first time, manufacturer Northrop Grumman announced on 4 May.
The targeting pods were fielded with the USAF Reserve and Air National Guard, giving F-16 pilots an 'unprecedented level of situational awareness and targeting certainty', the company claimed.
Litening is an EO/IR sensor system for targeting and surveillance that enables aircrews to detect, acquire, identify and track targets at long ranges.
The pods are built with a modular design and so can be upgraded to the colour configuration.
The upgrade also delivers the ability to record simultaneous video feeds from all sensors for post-mission analysis, automatic laser code display and an eye-safe mode that allows for more realistic training while using the laser.
Northrop Grumman VP James Conroy said that the Litening pod 'can display up to three different views simultaneously, allowing operators to see colour and infrared video side by side, and in different fields of view'.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Baykar completes Piaggio Aerospace takeover with plans to boost drone production]()
Baykar completes Piaggio Aerospace takeover with plans to boost drone production
The takeover of the Italian firm by Baykar solidifies the company’s efforts to forge closer ties with Italian industry, bolsters its partnership with Leonardo to produce UAVs and secures its foothold in Europe.
-
![US budget boosts Boeing’s F-15EX with $3.1 billion investment to increase fleet to 129]()
US budget boosts Boeing’s F-15EX with $3.1 billion investment to increase fleet to 129
The F-15EX Eagle II had already been singled out for further funding in January 2025, when it was chosen to replace the A-10 aircraft for the US National Guard.
-
![Spain earmarks $1.6 billion for Hurjet trainer aircraft acquisition]()
Spain earmarks $1.6 billion for Hurjet trainer aircraft acquisition
Spain’s Defence Minister told the Senate Defense Commission on 27 June of the decision to acquire Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) trainers as the country seeks to replace its Northrop F-5M aircraft.
-
![Leonardo’s Proteus structural tests “nearing completion” ahead of first flight]()
Leonardo’s Proteus structural tests “nearing completion” ahead of first flight
The company has tested over 15 mission sets for the drone, with the rotorcraft used to demonstrate the viability of armed forces utilising large uncrewed aerial systems’ (UAS) for autonomous missions in the future.
-
![US Navy’s FA-XX programme still an “option”, as FY2026 US defence budget outline proposed]()
US Navy’s FA-XX programme still an “option”, as FY2026 US defence budget outline proposed
The US Navy’s answer to a sixth-generation fighter has experienced a range of setbacks and delays to the programme, with only $47 million in this latest proposed budget set aside for completing the aircraft.
-
![Interview: Edge Group eyes Indonesian market for naval and UAV expansion]()
Interview: Edge Group eyes Indonesian market for naval and UAV expansion
The UAE’s Edge Group has been positioning itself as a key defence and technology partner to Indonesia, where it has been focusing on naval platforms, UAVs and long-term industrial collaboration.
