Gas distribution assembly (1, 20, 21) comprising a gas container and a valve unit fixed to the gas container, said gas distribution valve unit comprising: - a valve body comprising a lower part comprising a fixing system (12, 12a) allowing the valve unit to be fixed to a gas container, and an upper part surmounting the lower part, the lower part of the valve body comprising a gas inlet orifice via which a gas can enter the valve body, - a gas outlet orifice via which the gas can reemerge from the valve body, - a first internal gas passage fluidically connecting the gas inlet orifice to the gas outlet orifice, and - a gas autonomy or pressure indicating device fixed to the valve body, and wherein: - the valve body comprises a second internal gas passage fluidically connected to the first internal gas passage so that the gas pressure applied in said second internal gas passage is equal to that applied in the first internal gas passage upstream of the site of fluidic connection of the first and second internal gas passages (3, 11), - the autonomy or pressure indicating device is fixed to the valve body at its upper end and comprises a pressure tapping in fluidic communication with the second internal gas passage so as to measure the pressure of the gas within said second internal gas passage, and - the valve body comprises a gas expansion system arranged between the site of fluidic connection of the first and second internal gas passages (3, 11) and the gas outlet orifice, characterized in that it comprises a protective cowling arranged around said valve unit, the protective cowling comprising: - an opening formed level with the upper part of the protective cowling and within which the gas autonomy or pressure indicating device of the valve unit becomes housed, and - a carry handle connected to the cowling via one or more support uprights, said carry handle being arranged on the cowling in such a way that the gas autonomy or pressure indicating device is positioned substantially between the carry handle and the valve unit bearing said gas autonomy or pressure indicating device. - a valve body comprising a lower part comprising a fixing system (12, 12a) allowing the valve unit to be fixed to a gas container, and an upper part surmounting the lower part, the lower part of the valve body comprising a gas inlet orifice via which a gas can enter the valve body, - a gas outlet orifice via which the gas can reemerge from the valve body, - a first internal gas passage fluidically connecting the gas inlet orifice to the gas outlet orifice, and - a gas autonomy or pressure indicating device fixed to the valve body, - the valve body comprises a second internal gas passage fluidically connected to the first internal gas passage so that the gas pressure applied in said second internal gas passage is equal to that applied in the first internal gas passage upstream of the site of fluidic connection of the first and second internal gas passages (3, 11), - the autonomy or pressure indicating device is fixed to the valve body at its upper end and comprises a pressure tapping in fluidic communication with the second internal gas passage so as to measure the pressure of the gas within said second internal gas passage, and - the valve body comprises a gas expansion system arranged between the site of fluidic connection of the first and second internal gas passages (3, 11) and the gas outlet orifice, - an opening formed level with the upper part of the protective cowling and within which the gas autonomy or pressure indicating device of the valve unit becomes housed, and - a carry handle connected to the cowling via one or more support uprights, said carry handle being arranged on the cowling in such a way that the gas autonomy or pressure indicating device is positioned substantially between the carry handle and the valve unit bearing said gas autonomy or pressure indicating device.