LITENING F-18 Installation Close-Up
Northrop Grumman has received a four-year extension for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)’s in-progress LITENING Advanced Targeting System support contract, which will implemented as the Target Designation System for the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.

The self-contained, multi-sensor weapon-aiming system enables fighter pilots to detect, identify, track and designate targets for accurate conventional and precision-guided weapons delivery.

The system features advanced image processing for target identification, coordinate generation for GPS weapons, a forward-looking infrared sensor for day and night operations, a charge-coupled device television sensor and a dual waveband infrared laser designator.

The system is capable of supporting air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements, and is fitted with an eye-safe laser range finder, a laser spot tracker, an infrared laser marker, and an optional air-to-ground video data link and digital video recorder.

Northrop has delivered more than 550 LITENING pods to date, which have been integrated into fighter jets, including AV-8B, A-10A/C, B-52H, EA-6Bs, F-15E, F-16 and F/A-18, to meet changing operational requirements.

The RAAF’s tactical F/A-18 Hornet is a two-seated, multi-role, twin-engine jet capable of converting from air-to-air fighter missions to air-to-ground strike missions while on the same sortie.

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The aircraft has its deployments in fighter escorts, suppression of enemy air defences, reconnaissance, forward air control, close air support, and day and night strike missions.

The LITENING Advanced Targeting System has been in operation with the US Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command and Marine Corps, as well as with Italy, Spain, Israel, Netherlands, Finland, and Portugal.

Under the extension contract (estimated at $8m), the company will provide in-service support for the targeting pods and data links up to September 2015.

Caption: The LITENING Advanced Targeting System on the F/A-18 Hornet will help pilots to detect, identify, track and designate targets for accurate weapon delivery. Image courtesy: Northrop Grumman