British Harriers to Get Advanced Targeting Pods

Wanted: targeting pod(click to view full) In September 2006, “The Major’s Email: British Harrier Support in Afghanistan, Revisited” described publicly-aired dissatisfaction with Harrier close air performance in Afghanistan. In the course of analyzing the issues raised, DID commented: “British Harrier pilots have had difficulty identifying ground targets before; this was an issue in the 1982 Falklands War, for instance, and at least one pilot (Sqn. Leader Bob Iveson) got shot down trying. American Harrier pilots now rely on their LITENING surveillance and targeting pods to make their Harriers effective amidst the urban warfare challenges of Iraq; British Harriers use a Thales-Vinten Joint Reconnaissance Pod instead, which lacks the targeting functions and may not have been carried as integral equipment on the flights in question. In this case, as in so many others, the aircraft’s ancillary systems can be as important as the platform itself when it comes to determining battlefield performance.” Now Britain has moved to address this exact issue, in the wake of an an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR)” request from front-line commanders in late 2006… GR9 in Afghanistan w.Sniper, Paveways(click to view full) Britain’s Eurofighters will be equipped with a variant of RAFAEL’s LITENING III targeting pod, but […]