French Alphajet upgrade
In partnership with Belgium-based aerospace company SABCA (part of the Dassault Group), Thales has been selected by the French defence procurement agency (Délégation Générale pour l’Armement) of the French Ministry of Defence to upgrade the avionics on 20 Alphajet trainer aircraft operated by the French Air Force.
The contract is worth around 20 million euros and calls for integration by SABCA of an avionics suite developed by Thales. The suite comprises a head-up display (HUD) in the front cockpit, a head-up repeater in the rear seat, a Totem 3000 inertial/GPS navigation system as well as associated screens and control panels.
This upgrade will give France a highly advanced training system to prepare pilots at the French-Belgian flight training school in Cazaux, southwest France, for the Rafale and other latest-generation aircraft. More than 40 Alphajet trainer aircraft may be deployed at Cazaux, making it a unique facility for European cooperation.