Revue Thommen of Waldenburg, Switzerland, has signed a licensing agreement with Russian firm Transas for redesign and manufacture of the Transas helicopter searchlight system. The agreement, which Thommen announced at Heli-Expo 2010, covers exclusive sales and distribution rights worldwide (except in Russia) and transfer of all technical and design data and documentation to Thommen, which will also have complete design and production authority at its facility in Switzerland.

The licensing agreement came about because Transas found that the market for its searchlight was limited without certification by other than Russian aviation authorities. Thommen’s redesign of the searchlight–designated the TSL-1600–means that it “will be a Swiss-quality product with a Thommen part number and manufacturer’s nameplate,” according to the company.

Features of the TSL-1600 include all power management and control circuitry, assemblies, mechanisms and connecting wires integrated into the searchlight’s aerodynamic casing; integrated hardware and software that allows the searchlight to slave to any camera system or via RS-422 interface to digital map/tracking systems; automatic aerodynamic parking position when the system is switched off; lens faces aft when not in use to protect from damage; optional bolt-on infrared illuminator on the bottom of the TSL-1600 casing; and choice of three controllers, either hand-held, on the cyclic or on the collective.

Pricing of the TSL-1600 searchlight will be “competitive,” according to Thommen.