Chalk One Up for the Zionists

This report is courtesy of imra.org.il

Israeli-made targeting pod used to kill al-Zarqawi

An Israeli-made targeting pod was used to kill Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Rafael's Litening system marks the target, guides the ordinance with lasers and evaluates damage.
globes.co.il

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida's top terrorist in Iraq, was killed with the 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.

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