ATLIS II
Encyclopedia
The Thomson-CSF
ATLIS II (Automatic Tracking and Laser Integration System) is a French
laser
/electro-optical
targeting pod for fighter bomber and attack aircraft.
ATLIS was developed starting in 1976
, entering service in 1980
. It was developed for the French Armée de l'Air, initially carried by SEPECAT Jaguar
and Mirage 2000 aircraft.
ATLIS incorporates a laser designator
boresight
ed with a television camera. The pilot or weapon systems officer uses the crosshairs to mark a target, which can then be attacked with laser-guided bomb
s or other guided weapons from the designating aircraft or other, friendly forces. Because it is designed for use by single-seat aircraft, it has a novel automatic lock-on feature, which keeps the laser focused on the target without further operator intervention (using an inertial guidance system, it can generally keep the laser on target even if the beam is temporarily interrupted by clouds).
ATLIS II is used by the SEPECAT Jaguar
, Mirage F1, Mirage 2000, Mirage 2000N, and some Pakistani F-16s. It is compatible with various U.S.
and French
laser-guided bomb
s, with the French Aerospatiale AS-30L
missile, and even with some Russia
n bombs and guided weapons.
The pod is limited in being primarily a daylight/clear-weather system, and is being slowly replaced by the more capable Thomson-CSF PDLCT ("Pod de Designation Laser a Camera Thermique" / Laser Designation Pod with Infrared Camera") and Thales Damocles
, which has a FLIR.
Thomson-CSF
Thomson-CSF was a major electronics and defence contractor. In December 2000 it was renamed Thales Group.-History:In 1879 Elihu Thomson and Edwin Houston formed the Thomson-Houston Electric Company in the United States....
ATLIS II (Automatic Tracking and Laser Integration System) is a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
/electro-optical
Electro-optics
Electro-optics is a branch of technology involving components, devices and systems which operate by modification of the optical properties of a material by an electric field...
targeting pod for fighter bomber and attack aircraft.
ATLIS was developed starting in 1976
1976 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1976:-January:*January 1 - Middle East Airlines Flight 438, a Boeing 720, aircraft over Saudi Arabia when bomb exploded in the forward baggage compartment, aircraft destroyed killing 81.-March:...
, entering service in 1980
1980 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1980:-Events:* Summer 1980 – The British Aerospace Sea Harrier enters operational service with the Fleet Air Arm, providing the British Royal Navy with its first high-performance fixed-wing aircraft capability since the retirement of the aircraft...
. It was developed for the French Armée de l'Air, initially carried by SEPECAT Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
and Mirage 2000 aircraft.
ATLIS incorporates a laser designator
Laser designator
A laser designator is a laser light source which is used to designate a target. Laser designators provide targeting for laser guided bombs, missiles, or precision artillery munitions, such as the Paveway series of bombs, Lockheed-Martin's Hellfire, or the Copperhead round, respectively.When a...
boresight
Boresight
Boresight is a term used to describe crude adjustments made to an optical firearm sight, or iron sights, to align the firearm barrel and sights. This method is usually used to pre-align the sights, which makes zeroing much faster.Traditional boresighting, as the name suggests involves removing...
ed with a television camera. The pilot or weapon systems officer uses the crosshairs to mark a target, which can then be attacked with laser-guided bomb
Laser-guided bomb
A laser-guided bomb is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. LGBs are one of the most common and widespread guided bombs, used by a large number of the world's air forces.- Overview :Laser-guided munitions use a...
s or other guided weapons from the designating aircraft or other, friendly forces. Because it is designed for use by single-seat aircraft, it has a novel automatic lock-on feature, which keeps the laser focused on the target without further operator intervention (using an inertial guidance system, it can generally keep the laser on target even if the beam is temporarily interrupted by clouds).
ATLIS II is used by the SEPECAT Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
, Mirage F1, Mirage 2000, Mirage 2000N, and some Pakistani F-16s. It is compatible with various U.S.
Paveway
Paveway is a generic term for Laser Guided Bombs .Pave or PAVE is sometimes used as an acronym for precision avionics vectoring equipment; literally, electronics for controlling the speed and direction of aircraft...
and French
Bombe Guidée Laser
Bombe Guidée Laser laser-guided bombs were developed by MATRA starting in 1978. The guidance system had to work using the same principles as the US Paveway guided bombs. The guidance kits were intended as modifications to existing free fall bombs that were in service with the French Air Force...
laser-guided bomb
Laser-guided bomb
A laser-guided bomb is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. LGBs are one of the most common and widespread guided bombs, used by a large number of the world's air forces.- Overview :Laser-guided munitions use a...
s, with the French Aerospatiale AS-30L
AS-30L
The AS-30L is a French short-to-medium range air-to-ground missile which employees laser homing guidance. The AS-30L was a development of the earlier 1970s AS-30 missile, which uses MCLOS guidance via a radio command link between the aircraft to the missile. The only difference between the AS-30...
missile, and even with some Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n bombs and guided weapons.
The pod is limited in being primarily a daylight/clear-weather system, and is being slowly replaced by the more capable Thomson-CSF PDLCT ("Pod de Designation Laser a Camera Thermique" / Laser Designation Pod with Infrared Camera") and Thales Damocles
Thales Damocles
The Damocles is a 3rd generation targeting pod for military aircraft made by Thales Group produced in Elancourt France. It is a modular, eye-safe laser, high performance pod selected by the French Air Force for its attack fighter aircraft fleet. It features a long-range laser designator, an...
, which has a FLIR.