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Thales has been awarded a contract to supply Scorpion helmet-mounted sight and display systems and digital multi-function displays for all Dassault Aviation Rafale aircraft in service with the French Air and Space Force and the French Navy.
The order from the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) includes 350 Scorpion helmet-mounted sight and display systems and 400 digital multi-function displays and is intended to improve tactical situational awareness for the operator.
The helmet-mounted display symbology brings together information from the aircraft’s onboard sensors to enable crews to respond more quickly and with greater agility to a wide range of threats.
It creates a continuum between the cockpit and the outside world to radically improve awareness of the tactical situation. Coupled with the weapon system, the display can be used to designate and track targets anywhere in the crew’s field of view in daylight and at night.
Scorpion delivers all of these capability enhancements in addition to the protection and survivability functions of a conventional flight helmet. It is optimised for weight and balance to maximise pilot comfort and mission effectiveness.
The digital multi-function displays will replace the lateral displays on France’s in-service Rafale aircraft, which are primarily used to inform the pilot about the status of the aircraft’s systems and provide imagery from its onboard sensors. The new equipment offers a larger display area, an improved touchscreen interface and greater processing power.
“When the success of a mission is decided in a fraction of a second, aircrews must be able to understand the tactical environment quickly and interact intuitively with the aircraft’s systems,” said Jean-Paul Ebanga, Vice President, Flight Avionics, Thales.
“We are delighted to have this opportunity to provide future Rafale F4 crews with an operational advantage that will be critical to the success of their missions, thanks to latest-generation equipment offering advanced display capabilities and enhanced interaction with the weapon systems.”
