The LITENING system enables fighter pilots to detect, acquire, track and identify ground targets for highly accurate delivery of both conventional and precision-guided weapons. The upgrade is part of a major initiative to provide state-of-the-art FLIR and image-processing capabilities to U.S. forces flying the AV-8B, A-10, B-52, F-15E, F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft. The company's latest production standard is known as LITENING Advanced Targeting (AT).

The open architecture and spare volume in LITENING's design makes upgrades easy and affordable. Northrop Grumman is continually working with the warfighters to identify potential enhancements to LITENING to meet real-world operational needs. LITENING-equipped forces have accumulated over 450,000 operational hours, including over 200,000 hours supporting combat operations.

"The ability to quickly and cost-effectively provide new capabilities is essential to the Airmen and Marines that operate and maintain LITENING," said Mike Lennon, vice president of targeting and surveillance programs at Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems division. "The continued growth in technology provides excellent opportunities for LITENING to provide customers with the very best solutions to fight in today's complex environments."

Additional upgrades to the LITENING pod include data links which are currently being provided to multiple customers, as well as advanced sensor capabilities currently in development. Some of these developments include extended range identification, additional enhanced imaging techniques, and advanced networking capabilities. These are being fielded as further enhancements in response to user requirements.

As a result of the operational success experienced by LITENING users, Northrop Grumman was recently awarded a $275 million increase to an existing indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ), firm fixed price contract, to provide LITENING targeting pods and related training and logistics support for several aircraft in support of the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command and Marine Corps.

"This ID/IQ contract vehicle provides a quick and effective means for U.S. forces to obtain additional LITENING systems to fulfill growing needs for precision strike sensor systems," added Lennon.

Northrop Grumman's LITENING AT system is a self-contained, multi-sensor laser target-designating and navigation system that enables fighter pilots to detect, acquire, track and identify ground targets for highly accurate delivery of both conventional and precision-guided weapons. LITENING AT features advanced image processing for target identification and coordinate generation; a third generation forward-looking infrared sensor; charge-coupled device television sensors; a laser spot tracker; an infrared laser marker; infrared laser designator/range finder; and various data links and recorders.

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