The German Air Force will equip its Eurofighter jets with the new Israeli-made LITENING 5 pods under an agreement valued at approximately USD 415 million. The contract, signed between Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the German Parliament, covers the delivery of 90 pods, with the goal of enhancing the fleet’s precision strike and reconnaissance capabilities.
This development comes in a complex context, following the recent announcement by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of a suspension of arms sales to Israel that could be employed in operations against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza. The German government’s decision was made amid widespread condemnation in Europe after the Israeli security cabinet approved a plan in October to take full control of the city of Gaza.
The LITENING 5 is a fifth-generation targeting pod, currently in service with 28 air forces worldwide. With more than 2,000 units delivered and over 2.2 million flight hours accumulated—mainly in contingency operations—it has established itself as one of the most widely used targeting pods in service.
The pod features an advanced sensor suite that includes medium- and short-wave infrared cameras, high-resolution color imaging, dual-wavelength laser designation, and, optionally, a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to provide wide-area imagery under all weather conditions. These capabilities enable long-range detection, recognition, and identification of targets in various atmospheric conditions.
Finally, the Israeli company highlighted that “this decision reflects Germany’s confidence in Rafael systems and continues decades of defense cooperation.” The press release further added that “Germany’s transition from the Litening 3 (the previous model) to the Litening 5 reflects both satisfaction with the system’s performance and the Bundeswehr’s (German Armed Forces) emphasis on improving precision, survivability, and future growth potential. This is part of a European trend of modernizing existing fleets through advanced sensors, rather than relying solely on new platforms.”
