Solar Energy News  
Northrop Grumman Awarded Contract For LITENING Advanced Targeting Systems

Northrop Grumman's LITENING AT pod is a self-contained, multi-sensor weapon-aiming system that enables fighter pilots to detect, acquire, auto-track and identify targets for highly accurate delivery of both conventional and precision-guided weapons.
by Staff Writers
Rolling Meadows IL (SPX) Feb 01, 2008
Northrop Grumman has received a contract to deliver LITENING Advanced Targeting (AT) systems to the Finnish Air Force (FiAF) for its F-18 Mid-life Update 2 Program. Under the terms of the $30 million contract, Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division will deliver 10 LITENING AT systems to the FiAF under the U.S. Government Foreign Military Sales program beginning in late 2008 and continuing through 2009.

"With this contract award, Finland joins a growing number of international allies who have procured the LITENING AT system after a comprehensive, in-depth competitive analysis that reviewed applicable targeting pods in use by the U.S. armed forces. We welcome the addition of the FiAF to the expanding global community of LITENING AT users," said Mike Lennon, vice president of Targeting and Surveillance programs for Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division.

"LITENING AT offers advanced technology, unique features, high reliability and proven worldwide support, coupled with a demonstrated ability to easily integrate emerging technologies, all at a very competitive price and delivery schedule."

To date, almost 500 LITENING pods have been ordered by the FiAF, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force, Israeli Air Force, and Italian and Spanish Navies. More than 440 systems have been fielded, the largest number of any advanced targeting and sensor system. LITENING AT is combat proven on the AV-8B, A-10, B-52, F-15E, F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft.

Together, all variants of the LITENING pod have amassed more than 780,000 flight hours, with over 380,000 hours logged under deployed or combat conditions.

Northrop Grumman's LITENING AT pod is a self-contained, multi-sensor weapon-aiming system that enables fighter pilots to detect, acquire, auto-track and identify targets for highly accurate delivery of both conventional and precision-guided weapons.

Fully integrated to support both air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements, LITENING AT currently features advanced image processing for target identification; coordinate generation for GPS weapons; a 640 x 512 pixel forward-looking infrared sensor for effective day and night operations; a 1,024 x 1,024 pixel charge-coupled device television sensor; a dual waveband infrared laser designator and eye-safe laser range finder; a laser spot tracker; an infrared laser marker; and optional air-to-ground video data link and digital video recorder.

Related Links
The latest in Military Technology for the 21st century at SpaceWar.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Israel should limit use of cluster bombs: Lebanon war report
Jerusalem (AFP) Jan 31, 2008
Israel's commission of inquiry into the 2006 Lebanon war called on the army to limit the use of cluster bombs in an effort to keep down the number of civilian casualties.







  • Areva says it is ready to build 12 reactors in South Africa
  • UN team goes inside Japan's quake-hit nuclear plant
  • French Niger Uranium Mines Under Direct Threat From Tuareg Nomads
  • French PM to visit Japan for nuclear talks: official

  • Microbes As Climate Engineers
  • When Accounting For The Global Nitrogen Budget Do Not Forget Fish
  • Economists Help Climate Scientists To Improve Global Warming Forecasts
  • US pushes its climate change agenda despite criticism

  • Chinese dumplings trigger food scare in Japan
  • African Seed Collection First To Arrive In Norway On Route To Arctic Seed Vault
  • Study: African fruit is untapped resource
  • Climate change could devastate South Asia, Africa crops: study

  • Rare dolphin 'beaten to death' in Bangladesh
  • Telepathic Genes
  • Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Researchers Race Against Time To Save Tasmanian Devils
  • Nonlinear Ecosystem Response Points To Environmental Solutions

  • Companies Team Up For Advanced Airbag Landing And Flotation System For Orion Vehicle
  • Russia May Build New Shuttle Spacecraft By 2015
  • SPACEX Conducts First Multi-Engine Firing Of Falcon 9 Rocket
  • Virgin's Branson presents new space ship

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • Russia To Launch Space Project To Monitor The Arctic In 2010
  • New Radar Satellite Technique Sheds Light On Ocean Current Dynamics
  • SPACEHAB Subsidiary Wins NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory Contract
  • Radical New Lab Fights Disease Using Satellites

  • U.S. launched 1st satellite 50 years ago
  • Study: Lithium, beryllium may be bondable
  • Space debris: Despite Chinese test, some improvement
  • SBIRS Payload Operationally Accepted

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement