Life Cycle Support for LITENING: Over 3,000 Environmental Control Unit Repairs Already Completed

In 2001, Liebherr-Aerospace Saline, Inc. located in the State of Michigan initiated the servicing of the environmental control unit (ECU) installed on the LITENING precision targeting pod. The LITENING, developed and supported by prime contractors Northrop Grumman and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, is utilized by countries around the world and on various aircraft platforms for the mission of target acquisition and precision weapons delivery.

Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse, Liebherr’s center of competence for air management systems, was selected to provide the ECU for the LITENING. The ECU, which is based on vapor cycle technology, allows the pod to operate in extreme climate conditions. Subsequent to production activities, Liebherr-Aerospace determined to establish a center of excellence for sustaining life cycle maintenance requirements for the LITENING at its Liebherr-Aerospace Saline facility.

By 2018, Liebherr-Aerospace Saline has completed over 3,000 interventions to ECU’s requiring repair and modification for continued operational performance. Following thorough restoration, the units are dispatched for distribution to an array of global customers. Liebherr-Aerospace Saline has been consistently recognized for its high quality and timely delivery performance. With the LITENING product continuing to serve and evolve with the latest technologies, Liebherr-Aerospace Saline anticipates supporting this service line for many years to come.