Thales today announced that it has been awarded a contract by Korea’s Aerospace Industries (KAI) to equip FA-50 fighters for Poland with its highly successful Scorpion® Helmet Mounted Display (HMD).
Under the terms of this contract, Thales is responsible for adapting, integrating, and qualifying the Scorpion® HMD onto KAI’s FA-50 Fighting Eagle, as well as installing production systems, to support the Republic of Korea’s FA-50 contract with Poland.
With its digital cockpit, digital flight control system, and impressive array of precision-guided weapons, the FA-50 is well-equipped for all-weather combat operations day and night. Scorpion® is a perfect match as it offers a modern, digital platform that equips pilots with enhanced situational awareness.
The highly accurate Scorpion® HMD features full-color symbology, zero-perceived latency, and a single display module for both day and night operations – all at reduced life-cycle costs. Motion-tracking accuracy, using Scorpion’s precision Hybrid Optically-based Inertial Tracker (HObIT™), is also significantly improved over competing systems.
Thales expects this contract is just the start as the FA-50 is made available to customers worldwide. Scorpion® is well-suited to also be easily adapted onto the T-50 Advanced Jet Trainer and TA-50 Lead-in Fighter Trainer, as HMDs are becoming integral to most current and future combat aircraft.
“We are excited to add the FA-50 to the long list of highly capable combat aircraft embracing our Scorpion HMD. For KAI we also supply rotary wing versions for their Light Armed and Marine Attack helicopters,” said Jim Geraghty, Vice President, Visionix a division of Thales Defense & Security Inc. He continued, “Scorpion’s simplified approach to platform integration, superior situational awareness, high reliability, and enhanced pilot comfort makes this system unmatched in the HMD marketspace.”
