Technology used to kill Al Zarqawi

2ndLegion · Jun 30, 2006

http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/ ... 36&fid=942

Israeli-made targeting pod used to kill al Zarqawi
Rafael’s Litening system marks the target, guides the ordinance with lasers, and evaluates damage.
Amnon Barzilai 18 Jun 06 10:37

Abu Musab al Zarqawi, al-Qaida’s top terrorist in Iraq, was killed with help of Israeli target acquisition technology fitted onto a US Air Force F-16. Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd. supplies Litening advanced airborne infrared targeting and navigation pod to Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC), which installs them on combat jets under a cooperation agreement. The Israel Air Force also uses the Litening.
According to a report by senior US Air Force officers, al Zarqawi was killed by a pair of USAF F-16s on a routine mission in central Iraq, when the decision to act was taken. USAF commander in Iraq, Lt.-Gen. Gary North said the fighters carried a variety of laser and GPS-guided ordinance and the Litening pod.

The Litening pod has target-acquisition capability, laser spot detection and tracking and a video camera. For the Zarqawi strike, the pilot activated the system from 20,000 feet, guided a 250kg. bomb to its target, and then used pod’s video camera to examine the resulting damage. A second bomb was then dropped, which killed al Zarqawi.

In a media briefing, senior USAF officers mentioned Litening’s role in locating the target. “Aviation Week” said that the pod was Northrop Grumman’s but did not mention that the technology was Israeli, developed at Rafael.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on June 18, 2006

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2006
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smeghead phpbb3 · Jun 30, 2006

Wow, i didnt know that thakns for sharing This re-inforces my opinion that Israeli ordinance is some of the best in the world. I read that the Ukrainian Air Force is interested in purchasing Israeli technology over US and Russian rivals to upgrade their reserves of Mig-29, Su-25's and Mi-24's, as Israel seems to be the most experienced when it comes to adapting older military hardware.

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Technology used to kill Al Zarqawi

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