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January 12, 2021 | International, Aerospace

La DGA officialise la réussite des premiers essais en vol du viseur d’étoiles diurne Vision

Safran Electronics & Defense et Sodern offrent à la France une technologie inédite, applicable à plusieurs domaines stratégiques. Un nouveau potentiel de croissance économique pour les industriels.

Un projet innovant

Nous avions présenté en juin 2020 le projet de système de navigation innovant qui vise les étoiles en plein jour, et est capable de fonctionner sur avion, malgré le Soleil et au travers de l'atmosphère.

Le projet est développé depuis 2016 par Safran Electronics & Defense (responsable du projet et de la fonction navigation) et Sodern (responsable de la fonction de visée stellaire), à la demande de la Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) et de l'Agence de l'innovation de défense (AID).

Désormais appelé Vision, le démonstrateur de visée stellaire diurne a été testé pour la première fois en novembre-décembre dernier à bord d'un banc d'essais volant.

Embarquement sur banc d'essai volant

Quatre vols d'essais (trois de jour et un de nuit) ont été réalisés par la DGA Maîtrise de l'information (DGA MI), l'expert technique du Ministère des Armées pour les systèmes d'information et de communication, la cybersécurité, la guerre électronique et les systèmes de missiles tactiques et stratégiques.

Les vols ont duré une dizaine d'heures au total, à différentes altitudes.

Tout au long des trajectoires de chaque vol, de nombreuses étoilées ont été accrochées et poursuivies de manière fine par le démonstrateur.

Vers une production en série

La France se retrouve ainsi pionnière sur cette technologie d'avant-garde, tandis que Sodern y voit un fort potentiel de croissance.

Le concept désormais prouvé, l'industriel prévoit de développer un prototype raffiné cette année, puis préparer la production en série du produit d'ici 2025, d'abord pour les Armées, puis éventuellement pour le marché civil.

C'est un grand nombre d'appareils qui pourrait bénéficier de ces nouveaux viseurs d'étoiles : aéronefs de transport et de ravitaillement, drones longue endurance, avions d'arme, navires, voire même, selon l'AID, des missiles à long terme.

Sodern se réjouit que sa technologie puisse ainsi profiter à d'autres technologies et être essaimée dans d'autres secteurs.

https://www.air-cosmos.com/article/la-dga-officialise-la-russite-des-premiers-essais-en-vol-du-viseur-dtoiles-diurne-vision-24060

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