the Thales Scorpion Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (HMCS) for its F/A-18 Hornet fleet. This is the first time the HMCS has been selected by a F/A-18 operator, and Thales said it “will be responsible for the viability study, testing phase, integration with test aircraft, qualification support, and integration in the fleet.” The system offers full color symbology (navigation, intelligence, combat, etc.) for both nighttime and daytime missions, in addition to target cueing in potentially degraded visual environments. 
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Spanish reader Pedro Lucio tips DID off to a Spanish Council of Minister notice that says Indra Sistemas will be supplying a new electronic warfare suite for that country’s F/A-18 Hornet fighters. The EF-18 designation denotes “Espana,” not “electronic warfare” as it does in American designations like the EA-18G “Growler” Super Hornet derivative. Australia has also moved to re-equip its F/A-18 Hornets with a new domestically-developed EW suite, but failed and ended up buying Raytheon’s AN/ALR-67(V)3 instead.
Indra is a participant in the Eurofighter Typhoon’s DASS EW suite as a subcontractor to SELEX, and also makes most of the EW suites that equip Spanish Navy ships. The maximum value of the initial contract is announced at EUR 7.13 million (currently about $9.2 million). Approximately 109 EF-18s are in service in the Ejercito del Aire.
Updates
May 12/16: Spain has selected the Thales Scorpion Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (HMCS) for its F/A-18 Hornet fleet. This is the first time the HMCS has been selected by a F/A-18 operator, and Thales said it “will be responsible for the viability study, testing phase, integration with test aircraft, qualification support, and integration in the fleet.” The system offers full color symbology (navigation, intelligence, combat, etc.) for both nighttime and daytime missions, in addition to target cueing in potentially degraded visual environments.
