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Defence prime Thales has announced a new search and landing light designed to maximise visibility in critical helicopter missions.
The compact flush-mounted search and landing light is reportedly designed to combine unrestricted 360 degrees coverage with zero illumination dead zones and reduced aerodynamic impact.
The system is reportedly designed to support search and rescue, helicopter hoist missions and an additional dedicated covert mode for night tactical operations.
“Helicopter crews operate in some of the most demanding environments, often making critical decisions in seconds and under extremely challenging conditions,” according to Nicolas Bonleux, Vice President, Aerospace Communications, Thales.
“Our new Search and Landing Light was developed with those operators in mind, giving them greater flexibility, enhanced mission effectiveness and the ability to adapt to a wide range of operational scenarios from a single system.
“It illustrates our commitment to delivering solutions that evolve with our customers' missions.”
The system is connected to onboard systems such as Forward-Looking Infrared, helmet-mounted displays and multifunction displays to streamline crew coordination and supports faster, more confident decision-making in demanding environments.
One or multiple lights can be controlled by the pilot, co-pilot or hoist operator, ensuring full coordination throughout the mission.
Its 360-degree coverage allows crews to continuously illuminate survivors, rescue teams and landing zones without repositioning the aircraft, accelerating rescue operations in challenging conditions.
Independent control by the winch operator allows lighting to follow the rescue operation in real time, improving visibility and enhancing the safety and efficiency of hoisting operations, particularly in degraded visual environments.
In military environments, the SLL enhances mission effectiveness during infiltration, exfiltration, and special operations missions. The system's covert operating modes, featuring extremely low infrared detectability, help reduce the aircraft's visual and infrared signature while maintaining the illumination capabilities required for mission success. This allows crews to maintain tactical awareness and operate more discreetly in contested environments.
Thales is responsible for the design of the complete optical assembly for the high-power LED-based lighting subsystem, as well as the integration, assembly, and testing of the complete system at its facilities in Dourdan, France.
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