Polish FA-50 fighters to be equipped with Thales Scorpion HMD

Thales has been awarded a contract by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to equip FA-50 fighters destined for Poland with its Scorpion Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) solution.

Under the terms of the contract, Thales will adapt, integrate and qualify the Scorpion onto KAI’s FA-50 Fighting Eagle, as well as install production systems to support the Republic of Korea’s FA-50 contract with Poland.

The Polish Armaments Agency signed two procurement contracts for 48 FA-50 advanced trainers/light fighters with KAI in 2022. The first US$705 million contract covered a dozen FA-50 Block 10 aircraft featuring the same configuration as used by the Republic of Korea Air Force.

The Scorpion has been designed to enhance the pilot's situational awareness, with Thales noting that its includes HMD features with full-colour symbology, zero-perceived latency and a single display module.

The FA-50 Fighting Eagle, a light multirole fighter, was originally developed to replace South Korea’s F-5 fighters. It currently has six foreign customers, including Poland, and has been designed with a digital cockpit, digital flight control system and range of precision-guided weapons.