Leonardo's M-346FA Combat Aircraft Selects RAFAEL Electro-Optical Pods

Israeli RAFAEL will supply Litening-5 and RecceLite systems to equip Leonardo's M-346FA light combat aircraft.

This is the first integration of 5th generation EO pods to Leonardo's M-346FA platform. The M-346FA is the multi-role combat variant of the M-346 advanced jet trainer.

The FA variant is able to operate as a multi-role tactical aircraft, capable of air-to-surface, air-to-air and tactical reconnaissance missions.

Integrated with RAFAEL's pods, the jet will now have stand-off capabilities using the Litening 5 multi-spectral airborne targeting pod. Litening 5 delivers real-time, forward-looking infrared (FLIR+SWIR) and day HD color camera imagery. Its high-resolution sensors and effective EO/IR design ensure reliable operation at significant stand-off ranges.

Litening 5 allows the operation of all types of air-to-surface smart weaponry, such as laser-guided, GPS-guided and EO/IR imaging-guided munition. Litening pods have logged over 2 million flight hours, with more than two-thirds in contingency operations worldwide.

With the RecceLite ISR system, the light-attack aircraft will be able to perform target search, using advanced AI, ATR (Automatic Target Recognition) at the interpretation ground station, and other smart algorithms for efficient detection, tracking, and sensor-to-shooter closure.

Using its advanced ISR, image processing, and artificial intelligence, the system achieves optimal data-exploitation at the ground station, of intelligence data relayed in real-time and mission execution in near-real-time. RecceLite has been integrated onto various aircraft, including the F-16, F-18, Jaguar, AMX, Tornado, Typhoon, Gripen, Heron TP, Reaper and others.