TDSI division to be responsible for developing advanced optics: Thales
To enhance F-16 pilot visualisation and situational awareness, defence and aerospace company Thales is set to provide Scorpion Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) retrofit kits, which are anticipated to be delivered in late 2025.
In a press statement, Thales says that the Scorpion HMD will replace the currently used Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), enabling a standardised display solution for F-16 pilots across all components of the USAF.
The aerospace company adds that the Scorpion HMD kits will provide a digital platform with full-colour symbology and a single display usable for both day and night operations. Additionally, the kits are also designed to deliver improved tracking accuracy through integration with the TDSI-developed Hybrid Optically based Inertial Tracker (HOBIT), a fusion-based tracking system combining optical and inertial technologies.
Thales says that TDSI’s division will be responsible for developing advanced optics, motion tracking and symbology for fixed- and rotary-wing HMDs, hence managing the delivery and execution of the contract.
The defence company also says its subsidiary Thales Defence & Security will also deliver the kits to support the modernisation of HMD systems across the active-duty Air Force, Air National Guard and USAF Reserve.
Thales adds that the current contract is the first of several expected delivery orders. Under this arrangement, it includes a procurement option, which allows NATO partner countries who operate similarly configured F-16 aircraft to adopt the Scorpion HMD kits for their own modernisation needs.
“Modernisation efforts around helmet-mounted displays for aircraft are essential to pilots as they provide critical real-time information directly in their line of sight, enhancing situational awareness, decision-making, and operational efficiency while reducing the need to divert attention from the aircraft’s instruments and environment. Already supporting F-16 Air National Guard pilots with superior awareness and tracking capability, Scorpion kits will now enhance holistic USAF air dominance,” says Jim Geraghty, Vice President, Visionix Thales.