Thales customises solutions for onboard electronics with defence ministries and is a key player on major military programmes. Thales is a leader in electronic equipment for transport and combat aircraft, as well as for refuellers and helicopters, working with airframers including Dassault Aviation, Airbus, Eurocopter and Sukhoi. The company provides defence ministries with a full range of equipment, subsystems and systems for flight control, navigation, communication and surveillance.
On fighter aircraft such as Dassault Aviation’s Rafale and Mirage combat aircraft, equipment and systems provided by Thales, including both avionics and combat solutions, account for as much as 25% of the total value of each unit.
Thales avionics solutions are also implemented on military helicopters around the world. The flagship Meghas suite, encompassing primary flight display, navigation display, multifunction display and vehicle and engine monitoring display within a modular, integrated architecture, is an integral part of strategic programmes around the world, including the US Army’s UH-72A Lakotas.
Thales’s scope goes beyond cockpit avionics to include interactive and integrated tools for pilots. The Thales TopOwl helmet-mounted sight and display enhances operational effectiveness by equipping the pilot with an unparalleled range of vision. The system incorporates data from high accuracy head tracking and night vision onto 100% overlapping projection of a binocular image on the visor.
The concept of intelligence onboard underpins all Thales military avionics activities, creating the conditions to let pilots know exactly where they are and react in the most informed way in the midst of a hostile environment.