By: Andrew Carlson

Germany’s Bundestag has formally approved the procurement of 90 Litening 5 targeting pods for the Luftwaffe’s Eurofighter Typhoon fleet, a landmark decision that strengthens the Bundeswehr’s reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision strike capabilities. As reported on Tuesday by Israel National News (INN), the acquisition underscores both Germany’s longstanding defense cooperation with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems—the Israeli firm behind the pod—and NATO’s collective emphasis on integrating advanced targeting solutions to maintain operational superiority in contested airspaces.

The deal highlights a broader trend across Europe: modernizing existing airframes with cutting-edge sensors and modular systems rather than focusing solely on costly new platforms. By upgrading to the Litening 5, the Bundeswehr ensures that its Eurofighter Typhoon fleet, the backbone of Germany’s airpower, will remain combat-relevant well into the next decade.

The Litening 5 pod, the latest evolution of Rafael’s fifth-generation targeting and navigation system, is among the most successful sensor solutions in the world. According to the information provided in the INN report, the system has already been fielded by 28 different air forces worldwide, with more than 2,000 systems delivered and over 2.2 million operational flight hours logged in both training and combat operations.

Its cutting-edge suite combines multiple advanced capabilities:

Mid-wave and short-wave infrared imaging for enhanced detection in both day and night environments.

High-resolution color sensors, enabling pilots to distinguish targets with greater clarity and fidelity.

Dual-wavelength laser designation for accurate target acquisition and precision-guided munition delivery.

Optional synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a wide-area imaging system capable of providing all-weather reconnaissance, including in conditions of heavy cloud cover, smoke, or battlefield obscurants.

By integrating these elements, the pod allows pilots to identify, track, and engage targets at extended ranges and under complex environmental conditions.

Unlike earlier generations, the Litening 5 is not confined to air-to-ground strike roles but also provides enhanced capabilities in air-to-air combat and air defense missions. As the INN report emphasized, this adaptability makes the system indispensable for modern combat scenarios where multi-role flexibility is crucial.

Ground Attack Missions:

The pod offers moving target indication, multi-target tracking, and automated recognition systems. This allows pilots to distinguish between combatants and civilians with greater reliability—an operational necessity in both counter-insurgency and large-scale warfare.

Air-to-Air Missions:

The Litening 5 improves long-range visual identification and assists in detecting low radar-cross-section threats, including stealth aircraft and cruise missiles. By integrating missile cueing directly with the Eurofighter’s systems, the pod enhances beyond-visual-range engagement options.

Counter-UAV Role:

As drone warfare escalates globally, the pod significantly boosts the Luftwaffe’s ability to detect and neutralize unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including small and low-flying drones designed to evade radar detection.

In this sense, the Litening 5 is more than a targeting device—it is an adaptable battlespace awareness system, increasing the Eurofighter’s survivability and lethality across multiple threat environments.

Germany’s decision to transition from the Litening 3 to the Litening 5 reflects both satisfaction with Rafael’s earlier products and the Bundeswehr’s desire for expanded growth potential. The Litening 3 pods, long in service with the Luftwaffe, provided reliable performance. However, as adversary threats evolve, the Bundeswehr recognized the need for higher accuracy, longer-range detection, and integration with next-generation weaponry.

As the INN report noted, this move mirrors a broader European defense trend: prioritizing modernization of current aircraft with advanced pods, sensors, and avionics rather than over-reliance on acquiring entirely new fleets. By pursuing modular upgrades, air forces can preserve existing platforms’ relevance while reducing costs and accelerating deployment timelines.

The Bundestag’s authorization comes at a time when NATO is confronting mounting challenges: Russia’s war in Ukraine, escalating Iranian drone and missile activity in the Middle East, and the rapid proliferation of hypersonic and unmanned systems globally.

According to the INN report, the integration of Litening 5 pods into the Eurofighter fleet offers NATO a substantial interoperability advantage, as many allied air forces—including the U.S. Air Force, the Italian Air Force, and several Eastern European militaries—already operate variants of the Litening system. This commonality enhances joint operational planning, logistics, and training exercises.

The decision also aligns with NATO’s push to extend targeting reach in contested airspaces, especially against adversaries employing integrated air defense systems (IADS). By equipping Eurofighters with Litening 5, Germany ensures its frontline aircraft can operate effectively in environments saturated with advanced radar, jamming, and electronic warfare capabilities.

One of the most compelling reasons for Germany’s choice is the combat-proven record of the Litening series. Over 2.2 million flight hours, including use in real-world conflicts from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, have validated its reliability under combat conditions.

Features such as automated image processing, multi-spectral sensing, and plug-and-play modularity give pilots the situational awareness needed to make split-second decisions in high-intensity operations. As the INN report stressed, combat survivability in modern warfare is not solely about airframes or missiles—it is about information dominance, and the Litening 5 provides precisely that.

The contract also deepens Germany’s industrial and defense ties with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which has steadily become a cornerstone supplier of high-end technology to NATO states. While financial details of the acquisition were not immediately disclosed, the deal ensures long-term collaboration between German industry and Israeli defense firms, including potential offsets and joint maintenance programs within Europe.

Such partnerships not only strengthen the Bundeswehr’s operational posture but also demonstrate Europe’s commitment to leveraging Israeli defense innovation, a sector that has consistently outpaced global competitors in real-time combat-tested systems.

Germany’s Bundestag approval of 90 Litening 5 targeting pods for its Eurofighter Typhoon fleet represents far more than a procurement decision—it is a strategic signal of the Bundeswehr’s determination to remain at the forefront of precision strike, reconnaissance, and air defense capabilities.

The acquisition reflects Germany’s satisfaction with Rafael’s earlier systems and its recognition of the need for growth potential in modern warfare. It also illustrates NATO’s collective pivot toward sensor integration, modular upgrades, and interoperability as the defining features of 21st-century airpower.

In a world where contested airspaces are increasingly the norm, the Litening 5 gives Germany and its allies a decisive edge: the ability to see farther, strike with greater accuracy, and adapt to evolving threats—from conventional adversaries to drones and asymmetric warfare tactics.

With this acquisition, Germany not only reinforces its own defense posture but also strengthens the transatlantic and European security architecture, ensuring that its Eurofighters remain among the most capable multi-role aircraft in the world.