U.S. Air Force awards NSPA F-16 Helmet Mounted Display contract for Thales Scorpion HMD

08/04/2025

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Thales subsidiary, Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI) was awarded a contract by NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for Scorpion Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) retrofit kits to support U.S. Air Force (USAF) F-16 HMD modernization.

The Scorpion HMD kits provide a modern digital platform allowing for enhanced pilot situational awareness with full color symbology and a single display for both day and night operations. The Scorpion HMD kits will replace the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) and allow the USAF a common Scorpion HMD solution across Air Force, Air National Guard and USAF Reserve F-16s.

Thales Visionix, a division of Thales Defense & Security, Inc., a world leader in the development and integration of advanced optics, motion tracking and symbology for fixed and rotary wing HMDs, will manage the contract.

Thales subsidiary, Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI), was awarded a contract by NSPA in support of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) for Scorpion Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) retrofit kits to enhance F-16 pilot visualization and situational awareness. The award supports modernization of HMDs for active duty and Air National Guard F-16 block 40 and 50 aircraft.

The Scorpion HMD kits will replace the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) and allow the USAF a standardized Scorpion HMD solution across Air Force, Air National Guard and USAF Reserve

F-16s. Scorpion provides a modern digital platform allowing for enhanced pilot situational awareness with full color symbology and a single display for both day and night operations. Tracking accuracy is also markedly improved, as Scorpion is baselined with TDSI's precision HObIT (Hybrid Optically based Inertial Tracker) tracker. The HObIT system provides precise tracking through a fusion of inertial-optical technology.

Modernization efforts around helmet-mounted displays for aircraft are essential to pilots as they provide critical real-time information directly in their line of sight, enhancing situational awareness, decision-making, and operational efficiency while reducing the need to divert attention from the aircraft's instruments and environment, said Jim Geraghty, Vice President of Visionix, Thales. Already supporting F-16 Air National Guard pilots with superior awareness and tracking capability, Scorpion kits will now enhance holistic USAF air dominance.

This contact, issued by NSPA supporting USAF F-16 modernization efforts, is the first of several anticipated delivery orders. The contract arrangement also allows a procurement option for any F-16 NATO partner to modernize with Scorpion kit capability with similarly configured aircraft. Initial kits are anticipated to be delivered to the USAF in late 2025.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than 4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.

Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of 20.6 billion.

About Thales in the USA

In the United States, Thales has conducted significant research and development, manufacturing, and service capabilities for more than 130 years.

Today, Thales has 37 locations around the U.S., employing nearly 5,000 people. Working closely with U.S. customers and local partners, Thales is able to meet the most complex requirements for every operating environment.

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