Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
AN/AAQ-28 Litening
The AN/AAQ-28 Litening is an advanced precision targeting pod operational with a wide variety of aircraft worldwide. Research and development of the Litening was first undertaken by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' Missiles Division in Israel, with subsequent completion of Litening I for use in the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
Litening significantly increases the combat effectiveness of the aircraft during day, night and under-the-weather conditions in the attack of ground and air targets with a variety of standoff weapons (i.e., laser-guided bombs, conventional bombs and GPS-guided weapons).[citation needed] The thousandth pod was sold in October 2010.[citation needed]
In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the "AN/AAQ-28" designation represents the 28th design of an Army-Navy airborne electronic device for infrared special equipment. The JETDS system also now is used to name all Department of Defense and some NATO electronic systems.
Litening is an integrated targeting pod that mounts externally to the aircraft. The pod contains a high-resolution, forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor that displays an infrared image of the target to the aircrew; it has a wide field of view search capability and a narrow field of view acquisition/targeting capability of battlefield-sized targets. The pod also contains a CCD camera used to obtain target imagery in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. An on-gimbal inertial navigation sensor establishes line-of-sight and automatic boresighting capability.
The pod is equipped with a laser designator for precise delivery of laser guided munitions. A laser rangefinder provides information for various avionics systems, for example, navigation updates, weapon deliveries and target updates. The targeting pod includes an automatic target tracker providing fully automatic stabilized target tracking at altitudes, airspeeds and slant ranges consistent with tactical weapon delivery maneuvers. These features simplify the functions of target detection and recognition, and permit attack of targets with precision-guided weapons on a single pass.
The research and development program began at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' Missiles Division in Israel, with subsequent completion of Litening I for use in the Israeli Air Force. In 1995 Northrop Grumman teamed with Rafael for further development and sales of the Litening pod, reaching Initial Operating Capability (IOC) the same year.
Northrop Grumman and Rafael completed product improvements on the "Basic Pod" including a third generation FLIR, laser marker and software upgrades (Litening II) which was fielded beginning in 1999. The two companies subsequently replaced the "320x256" FLIR with a latest technology "640x512" FLIR. This pod, known as Litening ER, extended the target detection range and was fielded in 2001. The newest version, Litening AT, is in production and was fielded in 2003. It further extends target detection and recognition ranges, improves the target coordinate generation accuracy, and provides multi-target cueing.
Litening AT features a plug-and-play bay configured to accept a wide variety of data-links and recorders. Plug and Play II data-link capability offers increased range, digital data recording and an option to incorporate secure, two-way communications over ultra-high frequency (UHF) radios. Litening's Plug and Play I, introduced in 2003, was the first data-link to be incorporated in a third generation targeting pod.
Hub AI
AN/AAQ-28 Litening AI simulator
(@AN/AAQ-28 Litening_simulator)
AN/AAQ-28 Litening
The AN/AAQ-28 Litening is an advanced precision targeting pod operational with a wide variety of aircraft worldwide. Research and development of the Litening was first undertaken by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' Missiles Division in Israel, with subsequent completion of Litening I for use in the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
Litening significantly increases the combat effectiveness of the aircraft during day, night and under-the-weather conditions in the attack of ground and air targets with a variety of standoff weapons (i.e., laser-guided bombs, conventional bombs and GPS-guided weapons).[citation needed] The thousandth pod was sold in October 2010.[citation needed]
In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the "AN/AAQ-28" designation represents the 28th design of an Army-Navy airborne electronic device for infrared special equipment. The JETDS system also now is used to name all Department of Defense and some NATO electronic systems.
Litening is an integrated targeting pod that mounts externally to the aircraft. The pod contains a high-resolution, forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor that displays an infrared image of the target to the aircrew; it has a wide field of view search capability and a narrow field of view acquisition/targeting capability of battlefield-sized targets. The pod also contains a CCD camera used to obtain target imagery in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. An on-gimbal inertial navigation sensor establishes line-of-sight and automatic boresighting capability.
The pod is equipped with a laser designator for precise delivery of laser guided munitions. A laser rangefinder provides information for various avionics systems, for example, navigation updates, weapon deliveries and target updates. The targeting pod includes an automatic target tracker providing fully automatic stabilized target tracking at altitudes, airspeeds and slant ranges consistent with tactical weapon delivery maneuvers. These features simplify the functions of target detection and recognition, and permit attack of targets with precision-guided weapons on a single pass.
The research and development program began at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' Missiles Division in Israel, with subsequent completion of Litening I for use in the Israeli Air Force. In 1995 Northrop Grumman teamed with Rafael for further development and sales of the Litening pod, reaching Initial Operating Capability (IOC) the same year.
Northrop Grumman and Rafael completed product improvements on the "Basic Pod" including a third generation FLIR, laser marker and software upgrades (Litening II) which was fielded beginning in 1999. The two companies subsequently replaced the "320x256" FLIR with a latest technology "640x512" FLIR. This pod, known as Litening ER, extended the target detection range and was fielded in 2001. The newest version, Litening AT, is in production and was fielded in 2003. It further extends target detection and recognition ranges, improves the target coordinate generation accuracy, and provides multi-target cueing.
Litening AT features a plug-and-play bay configured to accept a wide variety of data-links and recorders. Plug and Play II data-link capability offers increased range, digital data recording and an option to incorporate secure, two-way communications over ultra-high frequency (UHF) radios. Litening's Plug and Play I, introduced in 2003, was the first data-link to be incorporated in a third generation targeting pod.