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.