U.S. Marines Upgrade Litening Targeting Pod with New Datalink Capability

The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and Northrop Grumman are upgrading the Marine Corps' AN/AAQ-28(V) Litening electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) targeting pod.

The upgrade, announced today, focuses on integrating the Bandwidth Efficient Common Data Link (BE CDL) waveform into the targeting pod for the first time. This will make the Advanced Tactical Data Link (ATDL) version of the Litening pod the first EO/IR targeting pod to feature BE CDL capability on a tactical aircraft.

The upgraded pods will provide secure, two-way, multiband connectivity, supporting air-to-ground transmissions of video, imagery, and metadata. A key feature of the BE CDL-equipped Litening pods is the ability for both USMC aviators and ground forces to view a single video feed simultaneously. This enhancement is part of a broader effort to improve the pod’s data transfer rates and interoperability.

The Litening pod, which has been deployed on the USMC's F/A-18 attack aircraft, previously utilized legacy datalinks such as the NET-T cross-domain and Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) capabilities. The ATDL upgrade replaces the Plug-and-Play II data link and can be retrofitted to all fourth-generation or newer Litening pods.

The ATDL enhancement has been compared with upgrading to better Wi-Fi, enabling immediate live feeds for ground forces.

The Litening targeting pod supports a variety of missions, including precision targeting, air superiority, and close air support, with its modular design allowing for continuous updates.