SPEEL PRAHA to Bring Modular Avionics to Replace Legacy Systems Across Military Aircraft Fleets.

SPEEL PRAHA will showcase an integrated avionics portfolio at Future Forces 2026, giving military operators a modular path to replace legacy cockpit and recording systems without redesigning entire aircraft architectures. The approach could extend the operational utility of ageing fleets by improving flight-data management, night operations, maintenance and mission debriefing while limiting retrofit complexity.

The Czech company’s offering includes the PDU-159 digital Head-Up Display with a 25° by 25° field of view, NVIS compatibility and CAN and HD-SDI connectivity, alongside the ED-56A-compliant CARE crash-protected recorder and data-acquisition equipment supporting ARINC 429 and MIL-STD-1553. Presented in Prague for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, the architecture is intended to connect legacy and newer avionics while supporting safer operations, fleet monitoring, and targeted modernisation.

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The PDU-159 digital Head-Up Display provides a 25° × 25° field of view for military aircraft applications. (Picture source: Speel Praha)

At the centre of the presentation is the PDU-159, a raster-based digital Head-Up Display designed to combine flight parameters and mission information with video imagery directly in the pilot’s forward field of view. The system provides a 25° by 25° field of view and is intended for applications ranging from training to combat and special missions. Keeping essential information in the pilot’s line of sight can reduce the need to shift attention between the external environment and cockpit instruments, particularly during phases of flight involving a high workload.

The PDU-159 communicates with the MP-39 Mission Processor through a CAN bus, while graphical data is transmitted via an HD-SDI link. Its dual-colour backlighting and compatibility with NVIS Classes A, B and C allow operation with night-vision equipment and rapid transition between day and night configurations. The system also uses a modular architecture, which is relevant for retrofit programmes where replacing a display should not require extensive modification of the surrounding avionics.

SPEEL PRAHA is also presenting the CARE recorder, a solid-state crash-protected unit designed to store flight data together with cockpit audio and video recordings. The system complies with ED-56A crash-survivability requirements and can communicate with other onboard equipment through Ethernet or RS-422 interfaces. Within a broader architecture, CARE functions as the protected memory element of a scalable recording system rather than solely as a stand-alone recorder, allowing the same integration approach to be adapted to different categories of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

Another part of the portfolio concerns data acquisition. SPEEL PRAHA’s Flight Data Acquisition Units collect analogue and discrete signals from aircraft sensors while also receiving digital information from avionics buses including ARINC 429 and MIL-STD-1553. The COAD Aircraft Data Concentrator can then combine information from several sources into a defined data stream for processing and recording. This capability is particularly relevant for older platforms where several generations of instruments, computers and mission equipment may coexist, making extensive wiring modifications complex and costly.

The same modernisation logic also applies to older recording systems still installed across several fleets. The FDR-39 was developed to replace obsolete SARPP emergency recorders used on aircraft including the L-39 and on Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters. The FDR-59B-L is intended as an alternative to older BUR tape-based recorders, including installations on the L-410. The objective is practical: to improve data protection, reliability and access to recorded information while limiting the modifications required during installation.

The value of this equipment does not lie in extending a weapons engagement envelope, but in improving the use of aircraft already in service. A modern HUD can support faster interpretation of flight and mission information during low-level navigation, training sorties or combat missions, while compatibility with night-vision systems retains that function after dark. Protected recording and structured data collection also support debriefing, preventive maintenance, aircraft health monitoring and flight-safety analysis. The PANDA software package provides the ground-based component by allowing operators to visualise, compare and analyse data obtained from different recorders and monitoring systems.

The geopolitical relevance of these technologies is linked to Europe’s requirement to maintain credible air power while many states continue to operate mixed fleets and follow different procurement timelines. Air forces in Central and Eastern Europe often have to integrate NATO-standard subsystems with aircraft based on older architectures. Modular avionics capable of connecting these environments can facilitate that transition without requiring immediate replacement of entire fleets. For international security, this approach can help preserve the availability, safety, and operational utility of existing aircraft at a time when defence budgets are also directed toward combat aircraft, air defence, munitions and other priorities. SPEEL PRAHA’s presence in Prague reflects a broader European defence trend in which targeted modernisation is used to retain deployable capability while newer-generation platforms remain costly and take time to enter service.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.