Helmet upgrades enhance air power

Air Force Link ^ | October 13, 2004 | Senior Airman Amaani Lyle - 52nd Fighter Wing PAO

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Helmet upgrades enhance air power

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Capt. Kevin Lord demonstrates the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System that is now used in 52nd Fighter Wing's F-16 Fighting Falcons here. The new system puts critical data less than three inches from a pilot's right eye. Captain Lord is an F-16 pilot with the 23rd Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Amaani Lyle)

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	• F-16 Fighting Falcon

by Senior Airman Amaani Lyle
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office

10/13/2004 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) -- F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots here can now look, lock and launch on an enemy target in the blink of an eye.

Because split seconds can mean the difference between life or death for a pilot in combat, the 52nd Fighter Wing here adopted an advanced approach to high-tech man-machine interaction with the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System.

The system provides an electronic interface allowing the helmet and jet to communicate putting critical data less than three inches from a pilot’s right eye.

Human retinal nerve impulses and eye movement can be faster than one-twenty-fifth of a second. Pilots quickly locate, track, identify and lock onto airborne and ground-based targets at longer ranges and safer altitudes -- all by simply looking at a target, said Staff Sgt. Terence Zelek, a life-support technician with the 23rd Fighter Squadron.

“By keeping their eyes pointed outside the cockpit, pilots will be better equipped to support the formation via visual lookout and avoid potential midair collisions in crowded airspace,” said Lt. Col. David Youtsey, 52nd Operations Support Squadron director of operations.

Avoiding such collisions is part of what makes the nearly $100,000 price tag per system money well spent, Colonel Youtsey said.

“Compared to the cost of a trained pilot, the cost of the (F-16), or the cost of many weapons that are used only once, the price is not an issue,” he said. “(With) more survivable air attack engagements or faster destruction of enemy ground forces during a close-air support mission, the benefits are easily recognized.”

Colonel Youtsey said the new system also pays dividends in training.

“Our young pilots will learn the skills and tactics necessary to transfer to more capable aircraft,” he said. “The skills acquired via (the system) will support the fielding decisions and employment tactics of those future stealthy platforms in an even more networked and sensor-dense battle space.”

One pilot said the ease of the helmet system makes the idea of returning to the “old-fashioned” system unappealing, but he also recognizes the importance of meticulous training, fitting and assembly on the new system.

“Your head is connected to the end (of the cord) and inside the helmet,” said Capt. Kevin Lord, 23rd FS life-support officer and F-16 pilot. During an ejection or other mishap, “if the (system) is improperly connected, it could rip your head off.”

Three dedicated rides with an instructor, coupled with a regular flight schedule, should keep pilots proficient with the new equipment.

“When you know how to wear (the helmet) and it’s properly fitted, it’s awesome,” Captain Lord said. “It’s first look, first lock, first kill and now we can track altitude, speed and just about any information we need to keep the aircraft level and in our control.”

 

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Staff Sgt. Robert Zelek holds the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System that is now used in 52nd Fighter Wing's F-16 Fighting Falcons here. The new system puts critical data less than three inches from a pilot's right eye. Sergeant Zelek is a life-support technician with the 23rd Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Amaani Lyle)   Download Full Image

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Ping.

 

 

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[SAMWolf]

Airpower Bump!

[Se7eN]

Nice helmet. I wonder what kicks the price tag up to 100k a piece though?

[grobdriver]

I wonder what kicks the price tag up to 100k a piece though?

In modern avionics for small aircraft, you can get a glass panel, Multi Functional Display, for around $50k.
Very nice, very expensive.
Miniaturize that, display it on the inside of a face shield, add the normal DOD markup, and voila!
A bargain!

[El Gato]

B'out time. The Russian Mig-29 and Su-30 pilots have had a similar system for something like a decade. There was no reason why various American manufacturers could not have built such a system 10-15 years ago. But it was a "not invented here idea as far as much of the AF and Navy procurement bureaucracy was concerned and much of the requirements communities didn't "want" it, despite reports about the Soviet system. They copy our stuff all the time, but occasionally, probably not often enough, we copy theirs.

[Knitebane]

I seem to remember the F-4 Phantom II having something called VTAS that did something similiar to this.

[El Gato]

Nice helmet. I wonder what kicks the price tag up to 100k a piece though?

A couple of things. Small volume and the requirements for flight qualification. Some of that is necessary and justified, most of it in fact, but some of it is just "requirements", left over from before the flood.

[Yo-Yo]

Yay! The Air Force now has what the U.S. Army has had since 1984 in their Apache AH-64, and the Russians had since 1987 in their Su-27.

[sukhoi-30mki]

The Israelis have also had helmet mounted sights for a long time ,allowing optimum use of the Python-4 missile.Their fighter & helicopter HMS are pretty famous & have got a few export deals as well-I think the Indian airforce contracted for those systems to be used on it's upgraded Mig-21 & Mi-35 attack chopper.I think the US JHMCS has been developed in collaboration with Elbit.

[SamAdams76]

Nice helmet. I wonder what kicks the price tag up to 100k a piece though?

Economies of scale.

If there were millons of these systems being mass-produced, I'm sure the price would come down to a few hundred dollars. But there are only so many F-16s.

The iPod would cost around $5,000 if only a couple thousand of them were ever made.

[SandRat]

Shades of the Clint Eastwood film where he stole the super hot Russian aircraft from inside Russia, where all he had to to do was look at the target and say what he wanted to do in Russian and "VIOLA!" it happened.

[blackie]

Helmet ~ Bump!