Israel defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced today that it has been awarded a contract to supply 5th generation Litening and RecceLite airborne electro-optical systems for installation on a combat platform of an undisclosed air force. With the RecceLite ISR system, the attack aircraft will be able to perform target search, using advanced tools and other smart algorithms at the interpretation ground station, 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 delivered to 13 customers world-wide and integrated onto various aircraft, including the F-16, F-18, Jaguar, AMX, Tornado, Typhoon, Gripen, M-346 and others. It is used by air forces in Europe, the Far East and South America.
Integrated with RAFAEL’s pods, the jet will now have combat-proven, stand-off capabilities using the Litening 5 multi-spectral airborne targeting pod. The Litening pod is in use by 27 air forces and carried by over 25 platforms globally, including F-16, F-15, AV8B, F-18, F-4, F-5, A-10, B-52, Jaguar, LCA, AMX, Mirage 2000, Tornado, Typhoon, MiG21, MiG27, M346, KC390, Gripen, and Sukhoi 27 & Sukhoi 30, and others. 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.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. ( formerly: RAFAEL Armament Development Authority), known as RAFAEL or Rafael, (also spelled as Raphael or Rephael; Hebrew acronym of “Authority for the Development of Armaments”) is an Israeli defense technology company. It was founded as Israel’s National R&D Defense Laboratory for the development of weapons and military technology within the Israeli Ministry of Defense; in 2002 it was incorporated as a limited company. Rafael develops and produces weapons, military, and defense technologies for the Israel Defense Forces and for export abroad. All current projects are classified.
