Northrop Grumman Wins $73 Million Contract for LITENING II Pods

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Sept. 7 -- Northrop Grumman Corp. has received a $73 million contract from the US Marine Corps (USMC) to supply LITENING II pods for its AV-8B Harrier aircraft. Work on this contract will be performed by the company's Defensive Systems Division in Rolling Meadows and Rafael Missile Division, Haifa, Israel. The award includes 47 LITENING II pods for the USMC as well as logistical support, spares and training.

The LITENING II combines night and day targeting and navigation capabilities in a single, low-cost, high-performance pod. It enables the aircraft to detect and identify ground targets for extremely accurate delivery of both conventional and precision-guided weapons. LITENING II features include a forward-looking infrared camera, charge-coupled device television camera, laser spot tracker/range finder sensors, laser marker, and laser designator. The system is currently equipped with a 256 X 256 FLIR. USMC flight tests at China Lake with a 512 X 640 FLIR are ongoing and upgrades are expected.