Thales Deployable ILS selected by U.S. Air Force

Thales has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to provide Deployable Instrument Landing Systems (D-ILS). The systems will be used in airfield environments where the ability to provide precision guidance to aircraft on final approach during low visibility or low-ceiling weather conditions – while also being able to quickly setup, activate, break-down and re-locate – are critical.
The Thales D-ILS will provide the equivalent of fixed-based Instrument Landing System capability at tactical airfields and environmentally diverse regions such as areas of natural disaster or humanitarian relief efforts.
The Thales D-ILS is a COTS system based on the Thales ILS 420 – a fixedbased, dual frequency ILS which is the industry’s next generation ILS with more than 700 fixed-base systems chosen worldwide for civil and military applications.
The contract being announced includes delivery of two Production Representative Units (PRUs) along with technical orders and provisional technical documentation, training development and conduct, system analysis, architecture and engineering, and contractor support. The USAF plans to purchase up to 38 systems over the coming years.
Thales has extensive experience in designing and supplying Navigation and Surveillance systems in configurations that meet the unique needs of customers worldwide. For more than 80 years, Thales has partnered with the aviation community, providing air traffic management solutions to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as Air Navigation Service Providers and airports worldwide. Today, over 99 percent of the instrument landing systems at U.S. airports are Thales systems, and more than 7,000 Thales navigation aids are deployed around the world.

With Thales D-ILS, the U.S. Air Force will receive an easily supportable, adaptable and resilient precision approach capability that all joint, coalition and civil ILS-equipped aircraft will be able to use worldwide.

Alan Pellegrini, President and CEO, Thales USA

• Thales D-ILS will provide the equivalent of fixed-based Instrument Landing System capability at tactical airfields and environmentally diverse regions such as areas of natural disaster or humanitarian relief efforts.
• The D-ILS offers significantly improved reliability,maintainability and supportability over legacy deployable Precision Approach Radar systems.
• The contract includes delivery of two Production Representative Units and related documentation and services.

Notes to editors
The world’s largest footprint. 340 TopSky ATM solutions, 7,000 Navaids, 680 radars, 1,800 ADSB/ MLAT units, and over 16,000 controllers utilizing Thales solutions. Two out of three aircraft operating around the world are guided safely using Thales technology. 

Leader in all 3 major initiatives for the restructuring of global ATM.

With engagement in NextGen ATM modernization initiatives, ICAO Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) and SESAR, Thales serves as a bridge for international harmonization. Further, Thales integrates these evolutions in its product roadmaps for solution longevity and interoperability.

About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defense and Security markets. With 61,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of $17.1 billion in 2014. With over 20,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex
security requirements. Its unique international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.