Embraer selects Thales identification friend or foe systems for military aircraft upgrades

NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, 12 Oct. 2013. Engineers at Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer sought identification friend or foe (IFF) transponders to upgrade A1M fighters and E-99 airborne early warning (AEW) surveillance aircraft that are in service with the Brazilian Air Force. They found their solution at Thales Group, headquartered in Paris.

Aircraft maintenance experts will retrofit 48 aircraft with the new Thales TSC 2030 and TSC 2050 transponders, part of the Thales BlueGate family of IFF products.

The IFF transponders provide a digital identification capability in line with NATO's MKXA standard. Aircraft equipped with the new IFF systems will be interoperable, helping to overcome risks of friendly fire.

The panel-mounted TSC 2030 transponders and the remote 2050 transponders rely on the latest technologies and meet all the most recent standards and regulations defined by NATO and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). They are designed to operate either in national secure cryptographic mode or in the secure identification modes used by NATO forces (Modes 4 and 5).

"This IFF retrofit program for the Brazilian Air Force shows that Thales BlueGate IFF solutions are an excellent fit for upgrading existing aircraft," says Jean-Michel Lagarde, CEO of Thales Communications & Security. "We are proud to have been selected by Embraer and delighted to have this opportunity to further strengthen our relationship with this major industry player."

Thales provides a range of IFF solutions to meet current and future needs of the armed forces. More than 18,000 Thales IFF products have been installed to date on various types of aircraft, land-based platforms, and naval vessels around the world, officials say.