US Air National Guard adopts Scorpion HMD for F-16 pilots
Scorpion will be worn USAF Reserve and Air National Guard F-16 pilots. (Photo: Thales)
Thales is to supply US Air National Guard F-16 Block 40/50 pilots with Scorpion HMDs to replace the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), under a new contract issued via the NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA).
Scorpion will eventually become ‘the common HMD solution’ for the Air National Guard and USAF Reserve’s fleet of F-16 Block 30/40/50 aircraft, Thales claimed in a 10 May announcement, noting that its HMD is already worn by USAF A-10 pilots.
The NSPA contract ‘will empower NATO customer nations to equip their pilots with Scorpion’s advanced HMD technology’, Thales added.
Claimed to be the world’s first full-colour helmet-mounted display, the Scorpion provides dynamic flight and mission data into line of sight, allowing the pilot to remain head-up and eyes-out with real-time situational awareness.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, full-colour symbology allows matching to colour multifunction display schemes for lower pilot workload and higher safety.
Scorpion also uses a Hybrid Optical-based Inertial Tracker for accuracy, zero latency and jitter-free symbology.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Digital Battlespace
-
US Space Force increases efforts to plug training capabilities gaps
The service has been seeking simulation and emulation solutions capable of reproducing multiple in-orbit threats.
-
US Space Force bets big on the use of AI to improve its capabilities
The service has been conducting several acquisition and upgrading efforts involving artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve communication, data analysis and ISR systems.
-
Thales selected for Syracuse satellite communications terminals for French vehicles
The Syracuse 4B communications satellite, developed by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, was launched last year, bolstering secure military satellite communications for the French Armed Forces. Thales has now been selected to provide terminals for vehicles.
-
The New Battlefield: Space Defence, Emerging Threats, and Strategic Opportunities (Studio)
The growing importance of space in modern warfare, advancements in satellite technology, and increasing threats from rivals like China and Russia were among the topics of a Eurosatory 2024 panel on military space operations.
-
BAE Systems to provide radios for South Korean aircraft
AN/ARC-232A is a Starfire radio that provides VHF/UHF communications to airborne platforms and the transceiver is software-programmable, allowing for multiple waveform support as well as optional national electronic counter counter-measure (ECCM) capability.
-
Lockheed Martin to work with DARPA on AI effort
During the 18-month period of the contract, Lockheed Martin will apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to create surrogate models of aircraft, sensors, electronic warfare and weapons within dynamic and operationally representative environments.