Life-critical by design: enabling mission success, protecting human lives

Design
Defence

Type Insight
Published 03 Sept 2025

The Combat Digital Platform (SICS — Scorpion information combat system) is more than software: it’s a life-critical suite that brings situational awareness and command capability into military vehicles. It feeds crews with video feeds, sensor data and mapped information that enable infantry to deploy, decide and act.

From the outset, designing this product was a human challenge in its most demanding form.

Nothing was left to chance. It became a multi-year effort of co-design — precise, intentional, optimized for the field, for the mission, and for the performance of the unit.

Always with the same objective: delivering a solution meant for accomplishing the mission while minimizing human loss.

A design true to Thales while adapting to standards

The Thales signature was adapted to be fully compatible with NATO guidelines: a rationalisation of colorimetry, iconography and symbology was required to ensure seamless interoperability.

The Thales Touch was deliberately defined to never compete with functional requirements, but instead embeds brand coherence with subtlety and restraint.

The design choices are intended to whisper — not shout — the values of reliability, efficiency and trust, while remaining fully compliant with recognized operational standards.

Conveying tactical vision through design

The platform had to adapt seamlessly across vehicle types and sizes, and across operator roles: Gunner, Driver, and Commander. The three interfaces were designed with a coherent DNA, yet each one was tuned to its specific role — so training stayed intuitive, and switching between stations felt natural.

At its core, the challenge was to display and prioritize an enormous volume of live data: multiple video streams (binocular feeds, vehicle-mounted cameras, drone footage), navigation layers, targeting overlays, and a wide range of control functions. Interfaces also had to adjust fluidly to mission contexts — from default to combat mode, or even degraded states.

Information hierarchy — and the visual language supporting it — was everything. Screens were kept clean, instantly legible, and aligned with users’ mental models and recognized standards. Interaction rules were strict and deliberate: one widget visible at a time; mobile-native closure behaviors (no extra clicks to dismiss); and never more than two navigation levels, so operators could enter or exit functions instantly.

The goal was singular: reduce cognitive load, keep operators focused on the situation in near real-time, and surface the right feed and the right control at the exact moment they were needed. Because when timing is critical, every second counts.

Ergonomics, accessibility and gesture first

Inside the vehicle, screens were stacked vertically so operators could scan naturally, without unnecessary head or torso movement. Reducing musculoskeletal strain and visual fatigue was just as critical as enabling fast interaction. To minimize repetitive motion, primary interactions were placed in the lower screen region — where hands naturally rest — allowing quick, comfortable gestures: “action at fingertips, stabilisation with the other hand.”

To define the right interaction region size and behaviour, extensive in-vehicle tests were conducted— including under motion and turbulence — validating gesture comfort while the platform was moving or in action.

Ergonomics and accessibility guided every decision: spacing, iconography, and visual language. Interaction regions are generous, clearly separated, and reinforced with meaningful iconography so operators can act without hesitation. Even at the software level, apps behave like transportable tools: designed to be carried, plugged into the vehicle, and adapted to different contexts. Accessibility was anticipated from the start, with left-hand support and full reversibility — right-handed gunners as default, but instant inversion when required.

Hardware choices emphasised ruggedness: reinforced laptops and displays built to withstand harsh conditions, with touch performance that remained reliable in the field, even with gloves.

Designing for high-stakes contexts is a responsibility. It means making vital, often invisible decisions: secure data-sanitisation workflows in case of compromise; clear, accessible indicators when a vehicle is damaged; logging and status views for rapid triage. At its core, turning extreme complexity into clarity, protecting both mission and lives.