The F-15EX Eagle II currently has access to the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper ATP, but lacks the LITENING targeting pod as a selectable alternative. This report requests adding LITENING as an additional option, not removing the Sniper ATP.
- U.S. Air National Guard — 2024 Weapons System Modernization Priorities Book
The ANG document explicitly addresses the F-15EX and LITENING in its “Background” section:
“Fielding the LITENING pod to the F-15 fleet will immediately add Homeland Defense effectiveness due to its ability to display color as well as provide risk reduction to the F-15EX fleet. It is already integrated into the aircraft.”
This statement appears in the Background portion of the document, not in the funding or procurement section. It therefore speaks to technical sensor integration, not future procurement plans. The wording distinguishes between “fielding” (operational deployment) and “already integrated” (the technical capability exists). This report does not claim that LITENING has already been widely fielded operationally on the F-15EX—the claim is that the technical integration has already been completed.
Note on accessibility: The 2024 edition of this document is available by request from the ANG at [email protected]. The quoted passage is independently reproduced and contextualized in publicly indexed community documentation.
- Boeing official statement, via Air & Space Forces Magazine
When discussing the F-15EX’s configuration, a Boeing official listed LITENING alongside the Sniper pod as a relevant sensor option:
“Not included, however, will be any additional sensors, such as Sniper or Litening pods, or Legion Infrared Search-and-Track (IRST) pods, a Boeing official said.”
This does not by itself prove operational fielding, but it independently confirms that Boeing discussed LITENING specifically as a sensor pod option in the context of the F-15EX configuration.
- Rafael official LITENING product page — F-15 integration
Rafael’s official LITENING page states that the pod is integrated with “many types of aircraft including F-16, F-15, AV8B, F-18, F-4, F-5, A-10, B-52” and lists the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard (ANG), and Air Force Reserve (AFRES) among its operators.
This establishes that LITENING is a combat-proven, technically integrated system on the F-15 family, and that the ANG—the primary operator of the F-15EX—already uses LITENING.
Why this matters for the game
The F-15EX is a multi-role platform. Adding LITENING as a selectable option provides a meaningful alternative to the Sniper ATP, particularly for players who prefer its color imagery and different sensor characteristics. Representing compatible pod configurations as parallel choices—rather than treating one pod as replacing another—is consistent with how other multi-role aircraft in the game are treated.
Requested change: Add the LITENING targeting pod as an optional loadout for the F-15EX, while keeping the existing Sniper ATP option available.
