Helmet mounted display
Encyclopedia
A helmet mounted display (HMD) is a device used in some modern aircraft, especially combat aircraft. HMDs project information similar to that of head-up display
s (HUD) on an aircrew’s visor or reticle, thereby allowing him to obtain situational awareness and/or cue weapons systems to the direction his head is pointing. Applications which allow cuing of weapon systems are referred to as Helmet Mounted Sight and Display (HMSD) or Helmet Mounted Sights (HMS).
HMD systems, combined with High Off-Boresight (HOBS) weapons, results in the ability for aircrew to attack and destroy nearly any target seen by the pilot. These systems allow targets to be designated with minimal aircraft maneuvering, minimizing the time spent in the threat environment, and allowing greater lethality, survivability, and pilot situational awareness.
Corporation was a simple mechanical "ring and bead" style sight fitted to the front of the pilot's helmet that was flown in the 1974-78 ACEVAL/AIMVAL
on U.S. F-14 and F-15
fighters
VTAS received praise for its effectiveness in targeting off-boresight missiles, but the U.S. did not pursue fielding it except for integration into late model Navy F-4 Phantom
s equipped with the AIM-9 Sidewinder
. HMDs were also introduced in helicopter
s during this time.
The first operational jet fighters with HMD (Mirage F1AZ) were fielded by the South African Air Force
. After the South African system had been proven in combat, playing a role in downing Soviet aircraft over Angola, the Soviets embarked on a crash program to counter the technology. As a result, the MiG-29 was fielded in 1985 with an HMD and a high off-boresight weapon (AA-11 Archer/R-73), giving them an advantage in close in maneuvering engagements.
Several nations responded with programs to counter the MiG-29/HMD/AA-11 (and later Su-27) combination once its effectiveness was known, principally through access to former East German MiG-29s that were operated by the unified German Air Force.
The first successful HMD outside South Africa and the Soviet Union was the Israeli Air Force
Elbit DASH series, fielded in conjunction with the Python 4, in the early 1990s. American and European fighter HMDs lagged behind, not becoming widely used until the late 1990s and early 2000s. The US-UK-Germany responded initially with a combined ASRAAM effort. Technical difficulties led to the US abandoning ASRAAM, instead funding development of the AIM-9X and the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System in 1990.
emitters on the helmet (or cockpit
) infrared detectors in the cockpit (or helmet), to measure the pilot's head position. The main limitations are restricted fields of regard and sensitivity to sunlight or other heat sources. The MiG-29/AA-11 Archer system uses this technology. The Cobra HMD as used on both the Eurofighter Typhoon and the JAS39 Gripen both employ the optical helmet tracker developed by Denel Optronics (now part of Zeiss Optronics ).
sensing designs use coils (in the helmet) placed in an alternating field (generated in the cockpit) to produce alternating electrical voltage
s based on the movement of the helmet in multiple axes. This technique requires precise magnetic mapping of the cockpit to account for ferrous
and conductive materials in the seat, cockpit sills and canopy to reduce angular errors in the measurement.
embedded in the helmet, and suitable optics
to display symbology on to the pilot's visor or reticle, focused at infinity
. Modern HMDs have dispensed with the CRT in favor of micro-displays such as Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS)
or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
along with a LED illuminator to generate the displayed image. Advanced HMDs can also project FLIR or NVG imagery. A recent improvement is the capability to display color symbols and video.
.
In 1984, the U.S. Army fielded the AH-64 Apache
and with it the Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System (IHADSS), a new helmet concept in which the role of the helmet was expanded to provided a visually coupled interface between the aviator and the aircraft. The Honeywell
M142 IHADSS is fitted with a 40° by 30° field of view, video-with-symbology monocular display. IR emitters allow a slewable IR imaging sensor, mounted on the nose of the aircraft, to be slaved to the aviator’s head movements. The display also enables Nap-of-the-earth
night navigation. IHADSS is also used on the Italian Agusta A129 Mangusta.
DASH III was the first modern Western HMD to achieve operational service. Evolution of the DASH began during the mid 1980s, when the IAF issued a requirement for F-15 and F-16 aircraft. The first design entered production around 1986, and the current GEN III helmet entered production during the early to mid 1990s. The current production variant is deployed on IDF F-15, and F-16 aircraft. Additionally, it has been certified on the F/A-18 and F-5. The DASH III has been exported and integrated into various legacy aircraft, including the MiG-21. It also forms the baseline technology for the US JHMCS.
The DASH GEN III is a wholly embedded design, where the complete optical and position sensing coil package is built within the helmet (either USAF standard HGU-55/P or the Israeli standard HGU-22/P) using a spherical visor to provide a collimated image to the pilot. A quick-disconnect wire powers the display and carries video drive signals to the helmet's Cathode Ray Tube
(CRT). DASH is closely integrated with the aircraft's weapon system, via a MIL-STD-1553
B bus.
After the U.S. withdrawal from ASRAAM, the U.S. pursued and fielded JHMCS in conjunction with the Raytheon
AIM-9X, in November 2003 with the 12th and 19th Fighter Squadrons at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. The Navy conducted RDT&E on the F/A-18C as lead platform for JHMCS, but fielded it first on the F/A-18 Super Hornet E and F aircraft in 2003. The USAF is also integrating JHMCS into its F-15E and F-16 aircraft.
JHMCS is a derivative of the DASH III and the Kaiser Agile Eye HMDs, and was developed by Vision Systems International (VSI), a joint venture company formed by Rockwell Collins
, Elbit and Kaiser Electronics (Kaiser is no longer affiliated with VSI; it is now equally owned by Rockwell Collins and Elbit's US subsidiary Elbit Systems of America). Boeing
integrated the system into the F/A-18 and began low-rate initial production delivery in fiscal year 2002. JHMCS is employed in the F/A-18C/D/E/F, F-15C/D/E, and F-16 Block 40/50 with a design that is 95% common to all platforms. This may also be integrated into the system of the F-22.
Unlike the DASH, which is integrated into the helmet itself, JHMCS assemblies attach to modified HGU-55/P, HGU-56/P or HGU-68/P helmets. JHMCS employs a newer, faster digital processing package, but retains the same type of electromagnetic position sensing as the DASH. The CRT package is more capable, but remains limited to monochrome presentation of calligraphic symbology. JHMCS provides support for raster scanned imagery to display FLIR/IRST pictures for night operations and provides collimated symbology and imagery to the pilot. The integration of the night-vision goggles with the JHMCS was a key requirement of the program.
When combined with the AIM-9X, an advanced short-range dogfight weapon that employs a Focal Plane Array seeker and a thrust vectoring tail control package, JHMCS allows effective target designation up to 80 degrees either side of the aircraft's nose.
Introduced the Scorpion Helmet Mounted Cueing System to the military aviation market in 2008. Scorpion has the distinction of being the first color HMD introduced. It was developed for targeting pod, gimbaled sensor or high off-boresight missile cueing mission scenarios. Unlike most HMDs Scorpion was designed to be installed on standard issue HGU-55/P
and HGU-68/P helmets and is fully compatible with standard issue U.S. Pilot Flight Equipment without special fitting. It is also fully compatible with the AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggles (NVG) and Panoramic Night Vision Goggles (PNVG).
Scorpion utilizes a novel optical system featuring a light-guide optical element (LOE) which provides a compact color collimated image to the pilot. This allows the display to be positioned between the pilot's eyes and NVGs. The display can be positioned as the pilot wishes. Sophisticated software correction accommodates the display position, providing an accurate image to the pilot. This feature, allows the Scorpion HMCS to be installed onto a pilot's existing helmet with no special fitting. A visor can be deployed in front of the display providing protection during ejection. The visor can be clear, glare, high contrast, gradient, or laser protective. An NVG mount can be installed in place of the visor during flight. Once installed, NVGs can be placed in front of the display, thus allowing the pilot to view both the display symbols as well as the NVG image simultaneously.
Scorpion is being installed on C-130W Gunships for target cueing and weapons employment. Scorpion won the Helmet Mounted Integrated Targeting HMIT program in 2010 which will outfit US A-10C and F-16 Block 30 aircraft.
Aselsan of Turkey is working to develop a similar system to the French TopOwl Helmet, called the AVCI Helmet Integrated Cueing System. The system will also be utilized into the T-129 Turkish Attack Helicopter.
MBDA MICA
missile for its Rafale and late model Mirage 2000 fighters was accompanied by the Topsight HMD by Sextant Avionique. TopSight provides a 20 degree FoV for the pilot's right eye, and calligraphic symbology generated from target and aircraft parameters. Electromagnetic position sensing is employed. The Topsight helmet uses an integral embedded design, and its contoured shape is designed to provide the pilot with a wholly unobstructed field of view.
TopNight, a Topsight derivative, is designed specifically for adverse weather and night air to ground operations, employing more complex optics to project infrared imagery overlaid with symbology.
The most recent version the Topsight has been designated TopOwl-F, and is qualified on the Rafale, Mirage-2000-5 Mk2, and Mig-29K.
utilizes the Helmet Mounted Symbology System (HMSS) developed by BAE Systems
and Pilkington Optronics
. It is capable of displaying both raster imagery and calligraphic symbology, with provisions for embedded NVGs. As with the DASH helmet, the system employs integrated position sensing to ensure that symbols representing outside-world entities move in line with the pilot's head movements.
joint venture) along with Helmet Integrated Systems, Ltd. developed the Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) for the F-35
Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. In addition to standard HMD capabilities offered by other systems, HMDS fully utilizes the advanced avionics architecture of the F-35 and provides the pilot video with imagery in day or night conditions. As a result, the F-35 is the first tactical fighter jet in 50 years to fly without a HUD.
flight environments. JedEyes TM has a 70 x 40 degree FOV and 2250x1200 pixels resolution.
fighter utilizes the Cobra HMD, developed by BAE Systems
, Denel Optronics of South Africa, and Saab
. It has been exported to the South African Air Force.
Head-Up Display
A head-up display or heads-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints...
s (HUD) on an aircrew’s visor or reticle, thereby allowing him to obtain situational awareness and/or cue weapons systems to the direction his head is pointing. Applications which allow cuing of weapon systems are referred to as Helmet Mounted Sight and Display (HMSD) or Helmet Mounted Sights (HMS).
Requirement
Aviation HMD designs serve two basic purposes:- using the pilot's eye (actually head angle) as a pointing device to direct air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons seekers or other sensors (e.g., radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, FLIR) to a target merely by pointing his head at the target and actuating a switch via HOTASHOTASHOTAS, an abbreviation for Hands On Throttle-And-Stick, is the name given to the concept of placing buttons and switches on the throttle stick and flight control stick in an aircraft's cockpit, allowing the pilot to access vital cockpit functions and fly the aircraft without having to remove his...
controls. In close combat prior to HMDs, the pilot had to align the aircraft to shoot at a target. HMDs allow the pilot to simply point his head at a target, designate it to weapon and shoot.
- displaying targeting and aircraft performance information (such as airspeedAirspeedAirspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the air. Among the common conventions for qualifying airspeed are: indicated airspeed , calibrated airspeed , true airspeed , equivalent airspeed and density airspeed....
, altitudeAltitudeAltitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
, target range, weapon seeker status, "g"G-forceThe g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
, etc.) to the pilot while "heads-up", eliminating the need to look inside the cockpit.
- displaying sensor video for the purpose of: verification that the chosen sensor has been cued to the right target or location without requiring the pilot to look inside the cockpit, and viewing outside terrain using sensor video in degraded visual conditions.
HMD systems, combined with High Off-Boresight (HOBS) weapons, results in the ability for aircrew to attack and destroy nearly any target seen by the pilot. These systems allow targets to be designated with minimal aircraft maneuvering, minimizing the time spent in the threat environment, and allowing greater lethality, survivability, and pilot situational awareness.
History
The first aircraft with simple HMD devices appeared for experimental purpose in the mid seventies to aid in targeting heat seeking missiles. These rudimentary devices were better described as Helmet Mounted Sights. Mirage F1AZ of the SAAF [South African Air Force] used a locally developed helmet mounted sight. This enables the pilot to make bore attacks, without having to maneuver to the optimum firing position. South Africa subsequently emerged as one of the pioneers and leaders in helmet mounted sight technology. The SAAF was also the first Air Force to fly the helmet sight operationally. The US Navy's Visual Target Acquisition System (VTAS), made by HoneywellHoneywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
Corporation was a simple mechanical "ring and bead" style sight fitted to the front of the pilot's helmet that was flown in the 1974-78 ACEVAL/AIMVAL
ACEVAL/AIMVAL
The Air Combat Evaluation and the Air Intercept Missile Evaluation were two back-to-back Joint Test & Evaluations chartered by the United States Department of Defense that ran from 1974-78 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Both the U. S...
on U.S. F-14 and F-15
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
fighters
VTAS received praise for its effectiveness in targeting off-boresight missiles, but the U.S. did not pursue fielding it except for integration into late model Navy F-4 Phantom
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
s equipped with the AIM-9 Sidewinder
AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
. HMDs were also introduced in helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s during this time.
The first operational jet fighters with HMD (Mirage F1AZ) were fielded by the South African Air Force
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
. After the South African system had been proven in combat, playing a role in downing Soviet aircraft over Angola, the Soviets embarked on a crash program to counter the technology. As a result, the MiG-29 was fielded in 1985 with an HMD and a high off-boresight weapon (AA-11 Archer/R-73), giving them an advantage in close in maneuvering engagements.
Several nations responded with programs to counter the MiG-29/HMD/AA-11 (and later Su-27) combination once its effectiveness was known, principally through access to former East German MiG-29s that were operated by the unified German Air Force.
The first successful HMD outside South Africa and the Soviet Union was the Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
Elbit DASH series, fielded in conjunction with the Python 4, in the early 1990s. American and European fighter HMDs lagged behind, not becoming widely used until the late 1990s and early 2000s. The US-UK-Germany responded initially with a combined ASRAAM effort. Technical difficulties led to the US abandoning ASRAAM, instead funding development of the AIM-9X and the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System in 1990.
Technology
While conceptually simple, implementation of aircraft HMDs is quite complex. There are many variables:- precision - the angular error between the line-of-sight and the derived cue. The position of the helmet is what is used to point the missile, it thus must be calibrated and fit securely on the pilot's head. The line between the pilot's eye and the reticle on the visor is known as the line of sight (LOS) between the aircraft and the intended target. The user's eye must stay aligned with the sight – in other words, current HMDs cannot sense where the eye is looking, but can place a "pipper" between the eye and the target.
- latency or slew rate - how much lag there is between the helmet and the cue.
- field of regard - the angular range over which the sight can still produce a suitably accurate measurement.
- weight and balance - total helmet weight and its center of gravityCenter of gravityIn physics, a center of gravity of a material body is a point that may be used for a summary description of gravitational interactions. In a uniform gravitational field, the center of mass serves as the center of gravity...
, which are particularly important under high "g" maneuvers. Weight is the largest problem faced by fighter aircraft HMD designers. This is much less a concern for helicopter applications, making elaborate helicopter HMDs common. - safety and cockpit compatibility, including ejection seat compatibility.
- optical characteristics – calibration, sharpness, distant focus (or 'Collimation', a technique used to present the images at a distant focus, which improves the readability of images), monocularMonocularA monocular is a modified refracting telescope used to magnify the images of distant objects by passing light through a series of lenses and sometimes prisms; the use of prisms results in a lightweight telescope. Volume and weight are less than half those of binoculars of similar optical...
vs. binocularBinocular visionBinocular vision is vision in which both eyes are used together. The word binocular comes from two Latin roots, bini for double, and oculus for eye. Having two eyes confers at least four advantages over having one. First, it gives a creature a spare eye in case one is damaged. Second, it gives a...
imagery, eye dominance, and binocular rivalry. - durability and ability to handle day to day wear and tear.
- cost, including integration and training.
- fit and interfacing the aviator's head to the aircraft – head anthropometryAnthropometryAnthropometry refers to the measurement of the human individual...
and facial anatomyAnatomyAnatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
make helmet fitting a crucial factor in the aviator's ability to interface with the aircraft systems. Misalignment or helmet shift can cause an inaccurate picture.
Head position sensing
HMD designs must sense the elevation, azimuth and tilt of the pilot's head relative to the airframe with sufficient precision even under high "g" and during rapid head movement. Two basic methods are used in current HMD technology - optical and electromagnetic.Optical tracking
Optical systems employ infraredInfrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
emitters on the helmet (or cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
) infrared detectors in the cockpit (or helmet), to measure the pilot's head position. The main limitations are restricted fields of regard and sensitivity to sunlight or other heat sources. The MiG-29/AA-11 Archer system uses this technology. The Cobra HMD as used on both the Eurofighter Typhoon and the JAS39 Gripen both employ the optical helmet tracker developed by Denel Optronics (now part of Zeiss Optronics ).
Electromagnetic tracking
ElectromagneticElectromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space...
sensing designs use coils (in the helmet) placed in an alternating field (generated in the cockpit) to produce alternating electrical voltage
Voltage
Voltage, otherwise known as electrical potential difference or electric tension is the difference in electric potential between two points — or the difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points...
s based on the movement of the helmet in multiple axes. This technique requires precise magnetic mapping of the cockpit to account for ferrous
Ferrous
Ferrous , in chemistry, indicates a divalent iron compound , as opposed to ferric, which indicates a trivalent iron compound ....
and conductive materials in the seat, cockpit sills and canopy to reduce angular errors in the measurement.
Optics
Older HMDs typically employ a compact CRTCathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
embedded in the helmet, and suitable optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
to display symbology on to the pilot's visor or reticle, focused at infinity
Infinity
Infinity is a concept in many fields, most predominantly mathematics and physics, that refers to a quantity without bound or end. People have developed various ideas throughout history about the nature of infinity...
. Modern HMDs have dispensed with the CRT in favor of micro-displays such as Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS)
Liquid crystal on silicon
Liquid crystal on silicon is a "micro-projection" or "micro-display" technology typically applied in projection televisions. It is a reflective technology similar to DLP projectors; however, it uses liquid crystals instead of individual mirrors. By way of comparison, LCD projectors use...
or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
along with a LED illuminator to generate the displayed image. Advanced HMDs can also project FLIR or NVG imagery. A recent improvement is the capability to display color symbols and video.
Major systems
Systems are presented in rough chronological order of initial operating capabilityInitial operating capability
Initial operating capability or Initial operational capability is the state achieved when a capability is available in its minimum usefully deployable form. The term is often used in government or military procurement....
.
Integrated Helmet And Display Sight System (IHADSS)
AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
and with it the Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System (IHADSS), a new helmet concept in which the role of the helmet was expanded to provided a visually coupled interface between the aviator and the aircraft. The Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
M142 IHADSS is fitted with a 40° by 30° field of view, video-with-symbology monocular display. IR emitters allow a slewable IR imaging sensor, mounted on the nose of the aircraft, to be slaved to the aviator’s head movements. The display also enables Nap-of-the-earth
Nap-of-the-earth
Nap-of-the-earth is a type of very low-altitude flight course used by military aircraft to avoid enemy detection and attack in a high-threat environment....
night navigation. IHADSS is also used on the Italian Agusta A129 Mangusta.
ZSh-5 / Shchel-3UM
The Russian designed Shchel-3UM HMD design is fit to the ZSh-5 series helmet, and is used on the MiG-29 and Su-27 in conjunction with the AA-11 Archer. The HMD/Archer combination gave the MiG-29 and Su-27 a significantly improved close combat capability and quickly became the most widely deployed HMD in the world.Display And Sight Helmet (DASH)
The Elbit SystemsElbit Systems
Elbit Systems Ltd. is one of the world's largest defense electronics manufacturers and integrators. Established in 1967, and based in Haifa, Israel, Elbit employs 11,000 people worldwide....
DASH III was the first modern Western HMD to achieve operational service. Evolution of the DASH began during the mid 1980s, when the IAF issued a requirement for F-15 and F-16 aircraft. The first design entered production around 1986, and the current GEN III helmet entered production during the early to mid 1990s. The current production variant is deployed on IDF F-15, and F-16 aircraft. Additionally, it has been certified on the F/A-18 and F-5. The DASH III has been exported and integrated into various legacy aircraft, including the MiG-21. It also forms the baseline technology for the US JHMCS.
The DASH GEN III is a wholly embedded design, where the complete optical and position sensing coil package is built within the helmet (either USAF standard HGU-55/P or the Israeli standard HGU-22/P) using a spherical visor to provide a collimated image to the pilot. A quick-disconnect wire powers the display and carries video drive signals to the helmet's Cathode Ray Tube
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
(CRT). DASH is closely integrated with the aircraft's weapon system, via a MIL-STD-1553
MIL-STD-1553
MIL-STD-1553 is a military standard published by the United States Department of Defense that defines the mechanical, electrical, and functional characteristics of a serial data bus. It was originally designed for use with military avionics, but has also become commonly used in spacecraft on-board...
B bus.
Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS)
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
AIM-9X, in November 2003 with the 12th and 19th Fighter Squadrons at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. The Navy conducted RDT&E on the F/A-18C as lead platform for JHMCS, but fielded it first on the F/A-18 Super Hornet E and F aircraft in 2003. The USAF is also integrating JHMCS into its F-15E and F-16 aircraft.
JHMCS is a derivative of the DASH III and the Kaiser Agile Eye HMDs, and was developed by Vision Systems International (VSI), a joint venture company formed by Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.- History :...
, Elbit and Kaiser Electronics (Kaiser is no longer affiliated with VSI; it is now equally owned by Rockwell Collins and Elbit's US subsidiary Elbit Systems of America). Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
integrated the system into the F/A-18 and began low-rate initial production delivery in fiscal year 2002. JHMCS is employed in the F/A-18C/D/E/F, F-15C/D/E, and F-16 Block 40/50 with a design that is 95% common to all platforms. This may also be integrated into the system of the F-22.
Unlike the DASH, which is integrated into the helmet itself, JHMCS assemblies attach to modified HGU-55/P, HGU-56/P or HGU-68/P helmets. JHMCS employs a newer, faster digital processing package, but retains the same type of electromagnetic position sensing as the DASH. The CRT package is more capable, but remains limited to monochrome presentation of calligraphic symbology. JHMCS provides support for raster scanned imagery to display FLIR/IRST pictures for night operations and provides collimated symbology and imagery to the pilot. The integration of the night-vision goggles with the JHMCS was a key requirement of the program.
When combined with the AIM-9X, an advanced short-range dogfight weapon that employs a Focal Plane Array seeker and a thrust vectoring tail control package, JHMCS allows effective target designation up to 80 degrees either side of the aircraft's nose.
Scorpion HMCS
Gentex CorporationGentex Corporation
Gentex is a privately held company that focuses on the manufacture of U.S. and international military, special forces, commercial, law enforcement, emergency medical services and First Responder Personal Protective Equipment products, as well as aluminized fabrics, Lifetex Fabrics, Clearweld,...
Introduced the Scorpion Helmet Mounted Cueing System to the military aviation market in 2008. Scorpion has the distinction of being the first color HMD introduced. It was developed for targeting pod, gimbaled sensor or high off-boresight missile cueing mission scenarios. Unlike most HMDs Scorpion was designed to be installed on standard issue HGU-55/P
Fighter pilot helmet
A flight helmet, sometimes nicknamed a "bone dome", is a special type of helmet primarily worn by military aircrew.A flight helmet can provide:...
and HGU-68/P helmets and is fully compatible with standard issue U.S. Pilot Flight Equipment without special fitting. It is also fully compatible with the AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggles (NVG) and Panoramic Night Vision Goggles (PNVG).
Scorpion utilizes a novel optical system featuring a light-guide optical element (LOE) which provides a compact color collimated image to the pilot. This allows the display to be positioned between the pilot's eyes and NVGs. The display can be positioned as the pilot wishes. Sophisticated software correction accommodates the display position, providing an accurate image to the pilot. This feature, allows the Scorpion HMCS to be installed onto a pilot's existing helmet with no special fitting. A visor can be deployed in front of the display providing protection during ejection. The visor can be clear, glare, high contrast, gradient, or laser protective. An NVG mount can be installed in place of the visor during flight. Once installed, NVGs can be placed in front of the display, thus allowing the pilot to view both the display symbols as well as the NVG image simultaneously.
Scorpion is being installed on C-130W Gunships for target cueing and weapons employment. Scorpion won the Helmet Mounted Integrated Targeting HMIT program in 2010 which will outfit US A-10C and F-16 Block 30 aircraft.
Aselsan AVCI
Aselsan of Turkey is working to develop a similar system to the French TopOwl Helmet, called the AVCI Helmet Integrated Cueing System. The system will also be utilized into the T-129 Turkish Attack Helicopter.
TopOwl-F
The French thrust vectoring MatraMatra
Mécanique Aviation Traction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile, bicycles, aeronautics and weaponry. In 1994, it became a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group and now operates under that name.Matra was owned by the Floirat family...
MBDA MICA
MBDA MICA
The MBDA MICA is an anti-air multi-target, all weather, fire-and-forget short and medium-range missile system. It is intended for use both by air platforms as individual missiles as well as ground units and ships, which can be equipped with the rapid fire MICA Vertical Launch System...
missile for its Rafale and late model Mirage 2000 fighters was accompanied by the Topsight HMD by Sextant Avionique. TopSight provides a 20 degree FoV for the pilot's right eye, and calligraphic symbology generated from target and aircraft parameters. Electromagnetic position sensing is employed. The Topsight helmet uses an integral embedded design, and its contoured shape is designed to provide the pilot with a wholly unobstructed field of view.
TopNight, a Topsight derivative, is designed specifically for adverse weather and night air to ground operations, employing more complex optics to project infrared imagery overlaid with symbology.
The most recent version the Topsight has been designated TopOwl-F, and is qualified on the Rafale, Mirage-2000-5 Mk2, and Mig-29K.
Eurofighter Helmet Mounted Symbology System
The Eurofighter TyphoonEurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
utilizes the Helmet Mounted Symbology System (HMSS) developed by BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
and Pilkington Optronics
Pilkington
Pilkington Group Limited is a multinational glass manufacturing company headquartered in St Helens, United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of the Japan-based NSG Group...
. It is capable of displaying both raster imagery and calligraphic symbology, with provisions for embedded NVGs. As with the DASH helmet, the system employs integrated position sensing to ensure that symbols representing outside-world entities move in line with the pilot's head movements.
Helmet Mounted Display System
Vision Systems International (VSI; the Elbit Systems/Rockwell CollinsRockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.- History :...
joint venture) along with Helmet Integrated Systems, Ltd. developed the Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) for the F-35
F-35 Lightning II
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, fifth generation multirole fighters under development to perform ground attack, reconnaissance, and air defense missions with stealth capability...
Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. In addition to standard HMD capabilities offered by other systems, HMDS fully utilizes the advanced avionics architecture of the F-35 and provides the pilot video with imagery in day or night conditions. As a result, the F-35 is the first tactical fighter jet in 50 years to fly without a HUD.
JedEyes TM
JedEyes TM is a new system recently introduced by Elbit Systems especially to meet Apache and other rotary wing platform requirements. The system is designed for day, night and brownoutBrownout (aviation)
In aviation, a brownout is an in-flight visibility restriction due to dust or sand in the air.In a brownout, the pilot cannot see nearby objects which provide the outside visual references necessary to control the aircraft near the ground. This can cause spatial disorientation and loss of...
flight environments. JedEyes TM has a 70 x 40 degree FOV and 2250x1200 pixels resolution.
Cobra
Sweden’s JAS 39 GripenJAS 39 Gripen
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...
fighter utilizes the Cobra HMD, developed by BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
, Denel Optronics of South Africa, and Saab
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
. It has been exported to the South African Air Force.
Future technology
- VSI is developing the QuadEyeTM Night Vision Cueing & Display (NVCD) for the US Navy and US Air Force, and is also producing the DASH Generation IV HMD.
- Eye tracking – Eye trackers measure the point of gaze relative to the direction of the head, allowing a computer to sense where the user is looking. These systems are not currently used in aircraft.
- Direct retinal projection – Systems that project information directly onto the wearer’s retinaRetinaThe vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
with a low-powered laserLaserA 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...
(virtual retinal displayVirtual retinal displayA virtual retinal display , also known as a retinal scan display or retinal projector , is a display technology that draws a raster display directly onto the retina of the eye. The user sees what appears to be a conventional display floating in space in front of them...
) are also in experimentation.
See also
- Virtual RealityVirtual realityVirtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
(VR) - Virtual retinal displayVirtual retinal displayA virtual retinal display , also known as a retinal scan display or retinal projector , is a display technology that draws a raster display directly onto the retina of the eye. The user sees what appears to be a conventional display floating in space in front of them...
- VRMLVRMLVRML is a standard file format for representing 3-dimensional interactive vector graphics, designed particularly with the World Wide Web in mind...
- Head-up displayHead-Up DisplayA head-up display or heads-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints...
(HUD)