WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. LITENING targeting system passed the 600,000-hour mark of operational flight time, half of it under combat conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Northrop Grumman, the developer of the system, said Wednesday that the system has been running at an operational availability of 97 percent despite a seeming increase in use.
"LITENING continues to be the precision targeting system most called on, indicated by the additional 100,000 hours that were accumulated since LITENING crossed the half-million hours milestone in mid-2006," Northrop Vice President Mike Lennon pointed out in a company news release.
LITENING is a self-contained, multi-sensor system that uses lasers to drive its target designation and navigation and also includes a video downlink. The system allows pilots to acquire, track and identify ground target and then deliver both conventional and precision munitions to complete the mission.
The system is currently deployed on several aircraft, including the Air Force A-10, F-15, F-16 and B-52, and Navy F/A-18s. Northrop said the Marine Corps' EA-6B was currently being fitted for the system.
Northrop is in the middle of its latest spiral development phase aimed at upgrading LITENING with advanced high-powered laser and data links, an upgraded infrared sensor and burst illumination capability, which will enable the plane to use its laser sensors to pick up potential targets at longer range without clutter from nearby objects.
