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Source: https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/all-news/article-904346
U.S. Air Force Signs $1.84 Billion Contract with Northrop Grumman for Israeli Targeting Pods
(Jerusalem Post) Udi Etzion - The U.S. Defense Department has awarded Northrop Grumman a $1.84 billion contract to supply Litening targeting pods to the U.S. Air Force and to upgrade and maintain existing systems. Litening is a targeting pod developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems that Northrop Grumman manufactures in the U.S. The targeting pod allows pilots and navigators to locate distant ground targets during the day or at night and in all weather conditions. It has also become increasingly important for identifying drones. Rafael developed Litening 40 years ago after the U.S. refused to sell the Israeli Air Force its equivalent American system, LANTIRN. Rafael has since developed five generations of the pod, offering improved range and resolution. Since 1996, the Pentagon has purchased 900 Litening pods, which proved cheaper and more effective than LANTIRN. The system is used by U.S. Air Force F-15E, F-16, and A-10 aircraft, Navy F/A-18 fighter jets, Marine Corps Harrier aircraft, B-52 bombers, and Hercules transport aircraft. Litening was purchased in 2025 by the German government for Luftwaffe Typhoon aircraft in a deal worth 350 million euros.