The country could be one which recently bought the Rafale.
Thales Optronique has revealed the first firm export order for its TALIOS long-range airborne targeting pod. The company declined to identify the customer or say how many pods have been ordered.
The TALIOS pod - formerly known as the New-Generation Laser Designation Pod (Pod de Désignation Laser de Nouvelle Génération: PDL NG) - is being developed by Thales Optronique under a EUR119 million (USD132 million) contract awarded by France's DGA armament procurement agency on 30 December 2013. It will supplement and then replace the Thales Damocles pods currently used by the French Air Force.
Officially unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show in July 2014, TALIOS is scheduled to be integrated on the F3-R configuration of the Dassault Rafale multirole fighter and fully qualified in 2018, when it is due to enter series production.The company is currently assembling the first prototype, due to be complete by late 2015 with flight trials due to commence in 2016. According to France's Military Programming Law 2014-19, 45 pods will be procured with the initial 16 units due in 2018 and 2019.
Weighing around 200-300 kg and some 2.5 m in length, the TALIOS pod's sensor suite will include: a high-definition (HD) midwave infrared (3-5 microns) thermal imager sourced from Sofradir; an HD colour TV covering for daylight operations; a short-wave infrared (1.4-3 microns) camera to enhance twilight performance; and a laser suite comprising rangefinder, designator, marker, and spot-tracker.
In addition, the open-architecture TALIOS will be equipped with enhanced INS-GPS integration to improve target geolocation, real-time datalinks offering air-air and well as air-ground communications, improved line-of-sight stabilisation to match the higher resolution sensors, and a user-friendly interface with enhanced display symbology.
In addition to its direct targeting role, this day/night-capable pod is suited for missions such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, air-to-air, deep strike, and close air support. The pod is also marketed as undetectable and precise system and oriented for battle damage assessment.
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