Brian Everstine
July 23, 2025

A U.S. Air Force F-16 takes off for Middle East operations in June.

Credit: U.S. Air Force

RAF FAIRFORD, England—The shift by the U.S. Air Force away from expensive air-to-air missiles to laser-guided weapons to down relatively cheap drones in the Middle East was enabled by a quick-turn software update to the service’s LITENING targeting pods. What was first an idea on the back of a…

Brian Everstine

Brian Everstine is the Pentagon Editor for Aviation Week, based in Washington, D.C.

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Northrop: LITENING Pod Upgrade Unlocked Drone-Killing Ability is published in Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, an Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) Market Briefing and is included with your AWIN membership.

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