Rafael is developing versions of its Litening and Reccelite targeting and reconnaissance pods for use with unmanned air vehicles.
The Israeli company confirms the development of smaller, lighter versions of its current designs, which are carried by manned fighters such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16 and Panavia Tornado, but declines to provide further details.
The Litening targeting pod has a usual weight of around 210kg (485lb), while the Reccelite real-time intelligence and reconnaissance system weighs 200kg.
Rafael says the demand for UAV-based reconnaissance equipment is increasing as armed forces introduce more unmanned systems into service as replacements for manned platforms.
Source: Flight International
