Thales Defense & Security is set to supply the NATO Support and Procurement Agency with Scorpion helmet-mounted display retrofit kits to aid the U.S. Air Force’s F-16 HMD modernization initiative. The order marks the first of several anticipated procurements for the HMDs.
The kits, a replacement for the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, will give the service branch a standardized Scorpion HMD solution across Air National Guard and USAF Reserve F-16s. A common Thales-made solution will enable the Air Force to gain improved tracking accuracy from Visionix’s precision Hybrid Optically Based Inertial Tracker.
The first batch of the kits is expected to be delivered in late 2025.
The Thales subsidiary said the Scorpion is a full-color, monocular HMD that delivers real-time enhanced vision using state-of-the-art hybrid inertial optical tracking. It provides data coming from a wide range of sensors, including radar, missiles and datalinks. Besides its compatibility with Lockheed Martin F-16s, the HMD can also be used on several other aircraft, including the F/A-18C Hornet, KAI LAH Korea and the French Air Force Rafales.
Jim Geraghty, vice president of Visionix at Thales, said HMD modernization efforts provide pilots with a tool that offers critical real-time information directly in their line of sight. “Already supporting F-16 Air National Guard pilots with superior awareness and tracking capability, Scorpion kits will now enhance holistic USAF air dominance,” he added.