Germany approves Litening V pods for Eurofighters

The Luftwaffe is to equip its Eurofighters with the latest version of the Litening pod, pictured. (Janes/Patrick Allen)

Germany has approved the procurement of Litening V intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) pods to equip its fleet of Eurofighter combat aircraft, manufacturer Rafael announced on 26 August.

The German parliament has cleared the buy of 90 Litening V pods as it looks to enhance the precision strike and reconnaissance capabilities of the Luftwaffe, with the new pod replacing the current Litening III pod.

“This [procurement decision] mirrors a wider European trend of upgrading existing fleets through advanced sensors rather than relying solely on new platforms,” Rafael said.

As noted by Janes C4ISR & Mission Systems: Air, the Litening V retains the same outer mould line of earlier versions, while essentially being a wholly new pod with high-definition sensors and expanded spectral capability. In addition to the improved sensors, the Litening V system has been totally updated internally with a new air-conditioning unit, a new electrical section with an ‘empty' bay to allow for future expansion, and a new datalink. Compared with the Litening III, the system has higher processing power, more capability, and a solid-state onboard memory.

Specific features of the Litening V include accurate target co-ordinate generation; multiple target tracking; processing of advanced algorithms; substantial allocated noted target assessment (SANTA); non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (NTISR); Litening ground segment for mission deployment & debriefing (LDMS); as well as full support of laser-guided bombs, and GPS-guided and other image-related munitions.

According to Rafael, the Litening V has seen service with 28 air forces worldwide, with more than 2,000 units delivered and over 2.2 million operational flight hours accrued.