Northrop Grumman's LITENING G4 advanced targeting pod recently embarked on its first combat deployment with the Air National Guard on A-10 and F-16 Block 30 aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Air National Guard will use the LITENING G4 pod's advanced capabilities to complete their demanding mission in a wide range of conditions while in theater.

The LITENING G4 pod targeting and surveillance system provides unsurpassed imagery using 1K forward-looking infrared (FLIR), 1K charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors, and wider field of view and enhanced zoom which deliver more accurate target identification and location at longer ranges for battlefield conditions than previous generations of the LITENING targeting pods systems.

"LITENING G4 provides the Air National Guard with the cutting-edge targeting technology they need to give them the advantage," said Jim Mocarski, vice president of the LITENING program at Northrop Grumman.

"G4's 1K sensors and laser imaging allow the warfighter to see targets that would have been undetected with earlier targeting systems."

Since its introduction in 1999, the LITENING system has fielded four spiral upgrades to ensure continued improvement in combat performance in an ever-changing battlespace.

LITENING G4 is the fifth step in the evolution of the LITENING family and applies the latest in sensor technology to achieve unprecedented levels of target detection, recognition and identification ranges.