Vision Systems International, LLC (VSI), a leader in advanced Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) technology, announced that its Night Vision Cueing and Display (NVCD) made a successful first flight on board an F/A-18F as part of a collaborative effort to demonstrate the night capabilities of the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS). The NVCD system employs the QuadEye night vision goggle (NVG) and is designed to improve usability of current NVGs and exploit the aircraft's JHMCS interface by providing aircraft symbology, pilot head tracking and cueing.

The mission profile included two sorties of an F/A-18 two-ship formation. As part of the familiarization process, the pilots performed various air-to-ground, air-to-air, low level and formation maneuvers. The system provides added cueing and display capabilities and an expanded 100-degree field of view over the current 40-degree NVGs. Additional flights are scheduled to take place over the next few months.

"We are extremely pleased with the enhanced performance that the VSI NVCD system provides," said Jim Wojtasek, President of VSI. "We were able to provide an accurate cueing and display system, offering war fighters in JHMCS equipped aircraft the ability to execute day tactics during night missions."

The NVCD program, awarded to VSI by the US Navy, is focused on system improvements and resolving open system integration issues. VSI's NVCD delivers high resolution night images in a lightweight, well balanced package. It provides highly accurate pilot line-of-sight (LOS) and an innovative method of imbedding symbology into the night vision scene.  The system is fully modular, providing a 40-degree by 40-degree night field-of-view (FOV) in standard configuration, or optionally can be expanded to 100-degree by 40-degree FOV. Projected information includes weapons status and aiming, target cueing and aircraft state parameters. A miniature, modular camera captures the pilot's view of the night scenery and symbology for post flight debrief.

The NVCD device is based on the QuadEye NVG developed by Kollsman, a Elbit Systems of America subsidiary, and integrated by VSI. 

VSI, a joint venture between EFW Inc. a subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd. and Rockwell Collins, was formed in 1996 to pursue fixed wing helmet mounted display (HMD) opportunities worldwide. In addition to production JHMCS and DASH (Display and Sight Helmet) Generation IV HMDs, VSI is in development on the advanced helmet mounted display for the F-35 (JSF) under contract to Lockheed Martin.

FMI: www.rockwellcollins.com