Group : Optronic Systems
Status : Under Development
Origin : United States of America
Contractor : Northrop Grumman
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) : 2016
Total Production : ?

The Northrop Grumman OpenPod is an aircraft-mounted, open architecture, pod-based sensor system allowing maintainers to swap sensors in theater within minutes. The system consists of line-replaceable units (LRU) and a set of interchangeable sensors that can be integrated into one pod. The new sensor package includes infrared search and track (IRST), targeting, 5th-to-4th generation communications, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and other functionalities. Besides, the pod can be upgraded independently of carrier aircraft as well as the mission computer. The OpenPod flexible sensor system was unveiled at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on June 2, 2015. It is projected as the successor to the LITENING targeting pod family.