This year F-35 fighter test pilots will fly a third-generation Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) , incorporating modifications to the...
This year F-35 fighter test pilots will fly a third-generation Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS), incorporating modifications to the second-generation display system currently used for training purposes.
The HMDS replaces the traditional Head-Up-Display (HUD) offering true sensor fusion. The Generation 3 helmets will feature an improved night vision camera, new liquid crystal displays, automated alignment and software enhancements.
The F-35 HMDS provides the pilot with video imagery in day or night conditions, combined with precision symbology to give the pilot unprecedented situational awareness and tactical capability. As a result, the F-35 is the first tactical fighter jet in 50 years to fly without a HUD.
In Oct 2013, F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) abandoned the development of an alternate HMD system by BAE systems, to focus exclusively on maturing the Vision Systems International (VSI) Generation 2 (Gen 2) HMDS to Gen 3. The Gen 3 helmet will be introduced as part of the low-rate initial production lot 7 in 2016.
