BANGKOK, April 30 (UPI) -- EADS Defense & Security has been ordered to equip three additional Thai air force helicopters with its helicopter laser radar obstacle warning system.
The EADS division Defense Electronics, part of its Defense & Security business, delivered three electro-optical HELLAS systems to the Thai air force in 2005 for fitting to Bell 412 helicopters.
The new order by the Thai air force for HELLAS systems are for fitting to Sikorsky S-92 helicopters.
Camera and optical sensors of the HELLAS are attached to the underside of a helicopter and ensures the detection of obstacles that are hidden from the pilot's view such as such as high-voltage power lines, towers, masts and buildings.
Missions can then be carried out under difficult visibility conditions, EADS said.
"HELLAS enables pilots to detect and avoid the smallest of obstacles, even when visibility is bad, thus offering crucial protection against one of the main causes of helicopter accidents," Bernd Wenzler, chief executive officer of Defense Electronics, said.
The German-built HELLAS system, developed specifically for helicopters, has been used for many years in German police helicopters and in 14 civil defense helicopters.
HELLAS scans the airspace ahead of the helicopter using a laser pulse beam that poses no danger to the human eye. It detects even extremely thin wires with a high accuracy from distances of more than 3,000 feet.
On the HELLAS display in the cockpit, or in the visor of his flight helmet, the pilot sees a gray-scale, in-depth image of the landscape in front of the helicopter.
Obstacles that are critically near the helicopter are displayed in a red signal color to draw the attention of the crew and allow them to take immediate evasive action. In addition, acoustic warning signals are generated in order to ensure the crew's attention in all flying conditions.
The first development contract was awarded by the German Federal Office of Defense Technology Procurement and subsequently HELLAS has been successfully tested on CH-53, UH-1D, BK 117 and EC 145 helicopters. It was type-certified in October 2003 following trials on a German Federal Border Guard EC 135.
EADS successfully tested the military version of HELLAS, the Military Obstacle Warning System, in flight in mid 2007. A MilOWS system was attached to an NH90 helicopter and various obstacle scenarios were flown, including low-level flights and spiraling at a roll angle of up to 45 degrees.
EADS announced in November that it will equip a Slovenian police force's Bell 412 helicopter with a HELLAS system.
