Thales Demos Scorpion HMD At Dubai Air Show

Thales used the Dubai Air Show last week to further demonstrate the Scorpion helmet-mounted display (HMD).

The Scorpion is the world’s first full color helmet mounted display, providing color symbology and video during full day and night missions. Scorpion is designed for use in fighters, helicopters and transport aircraft, especially in situations where a lightweight monocular solution is ideal, according to Thales.

Already in full-rate production and installed on US Air Force F-16, A-10 and C-130 aircraft the Scorpion was selected as part of the US Army Aviation’s Common Helmet Mounted Display (CHMD) system, which will be fielded as the standard HMD equipment across multiple US Army helicopter types.

Thales also recently demonstrated the HMD on numerous other fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters successfully.

The combination of high speed, accurate hybrid tracker, full color symbology and video display capability together enable pilots to quickly assimilate complex tactical situations, both day and night, greatly enhancing situational awareness and the process for rapidly executing the right decisions.

Interfacing with standard Night Vision Goggles, Scorpion provides combined full color symbology and video superimposed on NVG imagery, the statement added.

In an interview with Defenseworld.net at the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show, John Beck, Senior Manager, Business Development, Thales explained that the Scorpion supports full day/night transition missions, is totally compatible with AN/AVS-9 NVGs and Panoramic Night-Vision Goggles (PNVGs) and has an on-demand sensor video (IR) display.

According to Beck, the Scorpion is user friendly and its control Unit (ICU) maybe be mounted in a cockpit with no avionics bay intrusion, includes a 16 GB removable data cartridge, in cockpit and provides aircraft power to the NVGs (and battery backup).  

The Scorpion also provides the lowest overall integration and life cycle costs and is specifically designed for easy installation on new platforms as well as retrofit programmes.