Airbus Defence and Space has chosen Thales to supply the safety satcom system for its A400M military transport aircraft. The AVIATOR 700S cockpit system, which uses Viasat’s SB-S and Inmarsat services, was designed to improve pilot communications and expand connectivity for long-range missions.

Thales says the system supports enhanced communications, navigation and surveillance, and provides secure flight, navigation and performance data directly to the cockpit. It also includes a separate data channel that can be used by military or civilian passengers for operational or mission-related communications.

The system is built to meet the demands of military, government and VIP operations, and supports current cockpit communication standards while offering a sustainable path for future needs.

The contract expands Thales’s role in the A400M programme, where it already supplies avionics systems, head-up displays, a flight control unit, tactical navigation, radio management, and communication and navigation antennas. It also provides training and support.

Nicolas Bonleux, vice-president for aerospace communications at Thales, says: “Airbus Defence and Space’s and Thales’ engineering teams have worked very closely to develop this satcom system that accurately meets the requirements of this programme. Together, we have come up with a highly efficient system that enables the aircraft to fulfil very demanding missions. This new contract confirms our market leadership in terms of satcom systems for military transport platforms.”