An apparent Litening targeting pod and its pylon became detached from an RAF Eurofighter Typhoon during a training sortie over East Yorkshire in Northern England.
The pod and its pylon fell into a field in this largely rural part of England on Jan. 17, 2025, avoiding any harm to people or damage to property on the ground. The Typhoon was operating from RAF Coningsby, which is located to the south in Lincolnshire. Airspace over Yorkshire is regularly used by Coningsby’s Typhoons and other aircraft for training exercises.
‘Lucky’ escape as fighter jet part lands in field – full story ⬇️ https://t.co/9AdZNrDdbE
— BBC East Yorkshire (@looknorthBBC) January 20, 2025
After discovery, the wreckage was guarded by local police officers. Royal Air Force personnel retrieved the debris on Sunday, Jan. 19. According to the Bridlington Echo, an RAF spokesperson confirmed that a pylon, which is used to mount equipment to an aircraft, had “inadvertently detached and landed in open ground”. No mention was made about the targeting pod, which is clearly visible as part of the debris in images from BBC News.
A small crater was left by the impact of the pod and its pylon, a thankfully minimal level of damage considering the pod’s overall weight of almost 500 lb.
The RAF has launched an investigation into the cause of the pylon’s detachment from the aircraft. Although this type of incident has not happened in the United Kingdom for some time, it is a not too uncommon occurrence worldwide. Earlier this month, in fact, a U.S. Air Force F-16 accidentally dropped a fuel tank while flying near Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
In 2012, a Lossiemouth-based RAF Tornado GR4 accidentally dropped an inert practice bomb while operating around the England-Scotland border. This incident was believed to have been the result of equipment failure, rather than any error on behalf of air or ground crews.
More from The Aviationist
Losing a targeting pod to such an incident, rather than a fuel tank, or a practice bomb designed to be expended, is unfortunate, as these are complex technological items with unit costs in excess of $1 million. Both the Litening III and Litening V are in service with the Royal Air Force’s Typhoons, and it is unknown which variant the now lost pod was. The pods were previously used extensively by the force’s Tornado GR4 strike aircraft.
The Litening pod is a system jointly produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Northrop Grumman. It was first introduced in 2000, and has undergone constant upgrades since. The Litening V, the current latest variant, was introduced in 2019.
RAF Typhoons utilise the pod in a non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (NT-ISR) role as well as for direct weapon targeting. The integrated laser can designate targets for and guide laser guided Paveway bombs and Brimstone missiles.
It is the only targeting pod in use by the RAF at present, as the F-35B Lightning IIs can instead rely on their integrated Electro Optical Targeting System (EOTS). The EOTS is derived from the Lockheed Martin Sniper XR targeting pod, which was previously chosen over the Litening pod for the RAF’s Harrier GR9 strike fighters.
The Typhoon carries its targeting pods on a central pylon in the middle of the fuselage. This pylon is otherwise primarily used for fuel tanks. It has been a subject of criticism for the Typhoon, as competing aircraft like the Dassault Rafale, Boeing F-15, and Saab Gripen are able to carry their targeting pods on offset pylons that do not restrict the carriage of more fuel or weapons.
In 2021, the RAF lost another Litening pod when it was dropped from a Typhoon while still on the ground. At the time, this loss was reportedly valued at £640,000 – today around $780,000 USD.
Such incidents can happen for a number of reasons, from pilot error or maintenance errors to simple mechanical failures. Drop tanks may also be intentionally shed from an aircraft, as designed, in an emergency situation. In war time, tanks are dropped to improve aircraft performance in combat situations. Across countries like Vietnam, over which extensive aerial combat took place, these remaining tanks can be found being recycled for various uses.
Accidental releases have also involved weapons, ranging from cannon rounds and rockets through to a number of high profile nuclear weapon losses. Reassuringly, as the days of constant nuclear-armed aircraft patrols have been replaced by always-ready intercontinental ballistic missile silos and submarines, the latter such incidents largely remain in the past.
