Thales has received an initial order to equip US Air National Guard F-16 pilots with Scorpion Helmet Mounted Displays (HMD) as part of a deal that will make the combat-proven system available to NATO forces.
The contract will provide the Air National Guard with Scorpion retrofit kits to replace the current Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) for its fleet of F-16 block 40 and 50 aircraft.
When complete, Scorpion will become the common HMD solution for the Air National Guard and US Air Force Reserve’s entire fleet of F-16 block 30, 40 and 50 aircraft. Scorpion is already the HMD of choice for the A-10 in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
Scorpion offers a modern, digital platform that equips pilots with enhanced situational awareness. It features full-color symbology, zero-perceived latency and a single display for both day and night operations at reduced life-cycle costs. Motion-tracking accuracy is significantly improved over JHMCS by Scorpion’s precision Hybrid Optically-based Inertial Tracker (HObIT). The Scorpion HMD is also ejection safety certified on all F-16 configurations.
The contract, issued through the Aviation Program of the NATO Support & Procurement Agency, allows NATO countries to procure the Scorpion and all accompanying equipment needed to replace the outdated JHMCS HMD without the need for platform modifications.
“Moving their entire fleet of F-16s to Scorpion is a testament to the capability, quality, and low life-cycle costs that Scorpion provides the warfighters and the Air Guard,” said Mike Sheehan, President and CEO, Thales Defense And Security, Inc. “With Scorpion’s superior situational awareness, featuring a single display that provides color symbology and allows for the use of unmodified night vision goggles, it is unmatched in the HMD marketspace. Furthermore, we can provide the same upgrade to any customer flying a JHMCS-equipped aircraft.”
