$486M for more LITENING G4 Pods, Upgrades

LITENING AT onto B-52(click to view full) “ATP-SE: LITENING Strikes as USAF Splits Future Targeting Pod Orders” covered the USAF’s recent multi-year, dual-buy award of cutting-edge surveillance and targeting pods from Lockheed Martin (Sniper ATP-SE), and Northrop Grumman (LITENING SE). The award was a breakthrough for Northrop Grumman, but they do have other American contracts to supply the US Marine Corps and the US Air Force Reserve/ National Guard. In late December 2010, Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Rolling Meadows, IL received a $486 million contract modification from US Naval Air Systems Command. The firm has now confirmed that order’s precise makeup to DID… LITENING modularity(click to view full) July 27/11: The USMC has taken a step forward with their AV-8B Harriers: “VMA-513 has also become the first Marine Corps Harrier squadron in combat to position the aircraft’s weapon targeting system [not specified, but LITENING is their only pod] on the belly of the jet [instead of using a wing pylon]. The new centerline configuration allows ordnance Marines to arm the Harrier with one more bomb, effectively doubling its payload… “It’s the first time we’ve done it in combat,” explained Staff Sgt. Joshua Gray, a VMA-513 ordnance staff noncommissioned officer […]