Northrop Grumman has won an initial order from the US Air Force (USAF) for LITENING advanced targeting pod upgrade.

The pods will feature a full-colour digital video capability and two-colour laser spot search and track.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

During combat missions, the upgraded ability will provide personnel with additional information, reducing the time required to confirm the identity of a target. It will allow troops to save critical time and make more informed decisions.

With greater than 1K×1K resolution, the LITENING pod digital colour video will provide troops with a detailed understanding of their environment.

Built with a modular design, the existing pod can be modified to the colour configuration.

Once upgraded, the pod will be capable of recording video feeds from all sensors for post-mission analysis.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Its automatic laser code display and an eye-safe mode will allow realistic training while using the laser.

To date, the company has delivered nearly 900 LITENING pods to the US and other global customers. The pods have achieved more than one million combat hours.

Northrop Grumman navigation, targeting and surveillance vice-president Ryan Tintner said: “LITENING’s colour video capability works with the way we naturally see the world to give warfighters in the cockpit and on the ground more complete situational understanding in less time.

“Whether the mission is close air support, surveillance, search and rescue or training, LITENING’s latest upgrade will help ensure that warfighters don’t miss a thing.”

Recently, Northrop Grumman secured a single-award contract extension from the USAF for Mobility Air Force (MAF) Distributed Mission Operations (DMO).

Under the $64m contract, the company is set to continue as the operations and integration (O&I) prime contractor to provide a distributed training solution for training missions.

Airforce Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airforce Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.


Excellence in Action
Discover how Virtualitics is transforming mission readiness with explainable AI, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision intelligence across the U.S. Department of Defense through its AI-powered Integrated Readiness Optimization suite, for which it has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards.

Discover the Impact