Thales To Provide Integrated Electronic Stand-by Instrument To Brazilian Army

Thales will provide its Integrated Electronic Stand-by Instrument (IESI) to modernise the Esquilo/Fennec helicopter fleet of the Brazilian Army.

A total of 36 helicopters will be retrofitted with the Thales system with completion expected in 2018. The first batch will be completed by 2014, whereby Thales’s IESI will be integrated into six initial helicopters by Helibras, the Brazilian subsidiary of Airbus Helicopter, according to an official statement. 

The Thales IESI performs three essential back-up functions: artificial horizon, altimeter and airspeed indicator, all in a single Line Replaceable Unit (LRU). Already flying onboard Sikorsky S-76D, the Thales IESI has also been selected by Airbus Helicopters for its range of light and medium-lift helicopters including the Ecureuil family, the EC135, EC145, EC155, EC175 and their military versions, including the modernised AS 365 K2 Super Pantera.

Thales’s IESI is perfectly suited for helicopter missions and performs well at low speed, low altitude and high turn rates. Resistance to High Intensity Radio Frequencies (HIRF), durability in humid, saline and high-vibration  environments has been pushed to levels not previously reached by this kind of equipment. Together, these innovations ensure optimal operation in all types of circumstances and, in turn, the highest level of flight safety, reliability and low direct maintenance cost.