Indian Rafale Fighter Jets to Get Rafael’s Litening Targeting Pod

India is close to signing a contract to equip its Dassault Rafales with Rafael’s Litening targeting pod to enable the aircraft to fly intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance missions.

"The advanced sensors will be manufactured by a local company that is jointly owned by Rafael and an Indian partner," Yuval Miller, head of the Israeli company’s air and C4I systems division was quoted as saying by FlightGlobal.

The Rafale is a multi-role aircraft, and the Litening gives it the flexibility to deal with ground and air targets with the same efficiency, he said Monday in the report.

New Delhi present plan is to acquire initial Rafale for 36 of the French-built aircraft, but Dassault is already eyeing follow-on sales opportunities with the Indian air force and navy.

The Indian air force already uses the Rafael-produced pod on several types of combat aircraft, having acquired the system in the Litening III standard.

Rafael also is to supply its advanced 4I version of the system for use by the Aeronautical Development Agency’s Tejas light combat aircraft.