France Orders TALIOS Targeting Pod for Rafale F4 Fighters

Thales said today it received a firm order from the French defence procurement agency (DGA) for an additional 21 TALIOS optronic pods to equip Rafale aircraft currently in service with the French Air and Space Force and the French Navy.

The TALIOS pod will enable Rafale F4 standard aircraft to perform both air reconnaissance and ground/surface attack missions. The pod provides a wide-area search and target identification capability and can then switch instantly into target acquisition and tracking mode. Its high-resolution sensors provide a colour picture of the tactical situation to simplify the tasks of Rafale pilots. Thales has also developed a new Vision Permanent mode, which superimposes real-time video on a 3D map of the operational environment, enabling air crews to observe and understand the tactical situation in a significantly shorter time.

TALIOS will ultimately incorporate artificial intelligence algorithms to provide an unprecedented level of assistance in target detection and recognition and further accelerate the decision-making process, particularly in high-intensity engagements.

First of these pods were delivered to the French forces in 2019. The new pods will be delivered between 2024 and 2025, straight after fulfilment of the initial order for 46 TALIOS systems.