F-35 alternate helmet development halted
NewsOctober 14, 2013
FORT WORTH, TX. The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) officials halted development of the alternate F-35 helmet and will now focus only on maturing the Vision Systems Generation 2 (Gen 2) helmet from Rockwell Collins Elbit Systems of America that is currently used in F-35 training and testing. The program will recoup about $45 million in funds that it had originally set aside for developing the alternate helmet.
In 2011, program and industry officials did acknowledge that there were technical issues with the principal helmet system, according to Lockheed Martin. Due to those issues program officials started a dual-path development plan to reduce risk in case those issues with the Gen 2 helmet could not be resolved. BAE Systems engineers began developing the alternate helmet in September 2011.
“The government's decision to proceed exclusively with the principal helmet is indicative of their confidence in the helmet's performance and the successful resolution of previously identified technical challenges,” says Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager of the F-35 Lightning II Program. According to Lockheed Martin pilots have flown more than 6,000 flights and 10,000 hours with the helmet, delivering positive feedback.
The F-35’s Helmet Mounted Displays enable pilots to view data projected on the helmet’s visor. The jet fighter's Distributed Aperture System also streams real-time imagery from six infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft to the helmet, enabling pilots to "look through" the airframe, according to Lockheed Martin.
Beginning with F-35 aircraft in Low Rate Initial Production lot 7, the program will release a Gen 3 helmet that has new liquid crystal displays, an improved night vision camera, automated alignment, and software enhancements.
