Offering a full-scale mission package consisting of AMASCOS system

The Franco-German long-range maritime surveillance aircraft is coming into reality, based on the joint agreement between the two nations earlier last summer, to jointly develop and procure a next-generation maritime surveillance aircraft in the 2020s. Thales joins the programme with its offer for a full-scale mission package consisting of the mission-proven AMASCOS system.

Thales presents the product fitted to a Daesh-8 turboprop in operational use by PALaerspace. The complete system architecture was recently tested for certification. 

Thales noted that the mission system routinely operated by PALaerospace and npw on display for presentation to customers at EURONAVAL forms part of a complete system, with AMASCOS representing a scalable product.

On display in Le Bourget is the latest version, with large-scale touchscreens offering an intuitive architecture for the operators when it comes to real-time data processing and sharing. “When I touch (the screen), then it works“, a Canadian operator told MONCh.

Thales noted that among the centrepiece is a newly developed augmented reality headset for the operator and cockpit, clearly representing an innovative technology, “for the current iPhone generation,” when maritime surveillance and mission control is to be fulfilled in any future mission environment, from the detection of illegal activities to anti-submarine-warfare. Up to nine operators can form part of the complete system architecture. The AMASCOS product is essentially an operator-centric version that is based on Thales’ world-scale experience in the field of customisation.

The sensors fitted to the aircraft comprise a, “customisable,” SEARCHWATER maritime radar from Thales and an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor dome from L3 Wescam. According to an operator on board the aircraft, “with a frequency plan, I can avoid frequency jamming.”

Dr. Stefan Nitschke