Helmet-Mounted Sight/Display Systems and MFDs
Thales is to supply 350 SCORPION helmet-mounted sights and display systems (HMDS), as well as 400 digital multi-function displays (MFD) for all RAFALE combat aircraft in French service, the company announced on 22 July.
From reconnaissance to air defence and precision strike missions, the RAFALE has helped ensure the success of countless military operations. But future aircrews will have to analyse more data in less time on combat missions carried out in increasingly complex environments. Coupled with the aircraft’s weapon systems, the SCORPION HMDS enhances tactical situational awareness and enables crews to respond faster and with greater agility to a whole range of threats. Its progressive rollout on the RAFALE F4 standard will be a decisive advantage in ensuring the success of airborne missions.
The HMDS symbology collates information from aircraft sensors and 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 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 400 digital multi-function displays on order will replace the lateral displays on France’s in-service RAFALEs, which are used primarily to inform the pilot on 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. We [will be providing] 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,” explained Jean-Paul Ebanga, VP, Flight Avionics.
