By Jim Carroll
AV-8B Program Office

On Dec. 7, the Marine Corps accepted the first of 47 AN/AAQ-28 Litening II targeting pods incorporating a 640-by-512-pixel Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera for the AV-8B Harrier, which gives the aircraft the highest performance targeting pod camera in the U.S. operational inventory.

The Marine Corps is the first operator of a 640-by-512 FLIR version of the Litening II pod. The pod gives the Harrier, for the first time, the capability to autonomously deliver precision guided munitions, such as laser guided bombs and missiles, as well as enhanced day and night target acquisition and improved low-level night flight capabilities.

This pod is one of eight Litening II pods to be delivered in December 2001 and was delivered 10 months ahead of contract schedule, and less than three months after exercising a contract option for the 640-by-512 FLIR. When all deliveries are complete, the Marine Corps will have a total of 56 Litening II pods to equip the Harrier II fleet. The pods are manufactured by Northrop-Grumman located in Rolling Meadows, Ill.

Initial evaluations at NAWCWD China Lake on a pre-production model demonstrated a significant increase in FLIR target recognition range over the current 256-by-256 FLIR by as much as 25 percent.

(Call Renee Hatcher at 301-757-5138 for more information on this news release.)

PHOTO CUTLINE:

An AV-8B Harrier equipped with a Litening targeting pod flies over Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division China Lake ranges during developmental testing.