Rafael unveils a unique SAR feature for its Litening and Reccelite EO pods.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. is unveiling it has upgraded its fifth generation Litening and Reccelite systems, effectively transforming them from traditional EO pods into EO+, with the addition of a unique SAR feature and the optional application of additional EO+ features, such as (EW, Comm, IRST). This constitutes a revolutionary quantum leap in all-weather, stand-off targeting and reconnaissance pods.

Rafael Litening + SAR (Picture source: Rafael)

Litening + SAR

Advanced, All-Weather, Stand-Off, SAR-Optimized targeting Pod

Litening is the most popular pod in the world, with over 1900 units already in service. They are deployed by 27 Air Forces around the world.

Rafael teamed with ELTA to equip Litening with a powerful SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), adding significant capabilities to the Litenings’s EO, multi-spectral, stand-off pod, significantly expanded wide area coverage and true day/night, all-weather operation. This first-ever addition of SAR to an EO pod solves the EO challenge of target identification when flying above clouds.

The high-performance SAR sensor joins Litening’s set of high-resolution MWIR, SWIR, and HD color sensors ‒ all incorporated in a single, sophisticated stand-off pod.

Reducing pilot workload, Litening + SAR increases mission efficiency through full support of JDAM, LGB and INS/GPS-guided munitions. The pods are equipped with a laser designator, and laser marker for joint missions, as well as an optional Data Link for CAS missions and stand-off ranges.

Litening is integrated and operational on over 25 types of aircraft ‒ including the F-16, F-15, AV8B, F-18, F-4, F-5, A-10, B-2, Jaguar, LCA, AMX, Mirage 2000, Tornado, Typhoon, MiG21, Mig27, M346, KC390, Gripen, and Sukhoi 27 & 30.

Reccelite + SAR

Advanced, All-Weather, Stand-Off, SAR-Optimized ISR Pod

Reccelite + SAR is one of Rafael’s latest game-changers, with the addition of ELTA’s powerful SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) to the, stand-off Reccelite ISR pod. Overcoming the EO reconnaissance challenge when flying above clouds, the SAR-optimized pod delivers true all-weather, day/night, all-terrain, long-range capabilities, providing a full aerial intelligence picture ‒ with high-resolution images.

The Reccelite ISR system consists of an airborne ISR pod, a wideband digital Data Link, and a GES (Ground Exploitation System) which can be stationary, mobile, or located on board the aircraft. The powerful SAR radar joins the system’s array of advanced, high-resolution NIR, SWIR, MWIR and color sensors, together simultaneously collecting stabilized high-quality multi-spectral imagery from an unlimited field-of-regard.

Scanning modes include Strip, Persistent Wide Area, Gate Keeping and more. Reccelite’s mission plan can be uploaded prior to takeoff or uplinked during flight, and either performed automatically, or manually controlled for targets of opportunity.

Reccelite is deployed by more than 10 Air Forces around the world. The system is integrated and operational on multiple aircraft types, including the AMX, F-16, F-18, Gripen, Heron 1, Jaguar, Reaper, Tornado, and Typhoon.

Yuval Miller, EVP, Head of Rafael’s C4ISR Systems Division: “The new and unique addition of SAR to the Litening and Reccelite is undoubtedly a quantum leap in the standoff EO pod domain. Rafael has been a pioneer in defense innovation for seven decades, with immense breakthroughs in many areas, which have given an operational advantage to the Israeli Air Force and to numerous other air forces around the world, operating in the most challenging and complex combat arenas. Rafael’s Litening and Reccelite have been instrumental in their successes, and I am confident that the new pods will further enhance their performance and their results.”

See video below