But Advance Technology Gives Pilots Improved Situational Awareness

Pilots flying the F-35 will be equipped with what is described as the most advanced ... and expensive ... helmet ever developed for the U.S. military.

The helmets are estimated to cost about $400,000 each. USA Today relays a report from the Air Force Times which indicates that the Pentagon will spend about $1 billion just for the helmets.

Why so expensive? Technology that allows the pilot to virtually see "through" the airplane below him or her is one reason. The helmet is connected to six cameras that are a part of the skin of the aircraft that gives the pilot a virtual 360 degree view of the airspace surrounding the plane. It also has advanced night vision capabilities, and the HUD projects directly onto the visor.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said that the helmet essentially becomes a workspace, and gives the pilots far more capability than they have had in any previous airplane. He told the Air Force Times that "we've got to come up with a new word" for the device, since it is really so much more than simply a helmet.

The helmet costs four times as much as any other currently in use by the U.S. military, and it is larger and heavier than the helmets worn by pilots of other aircraft. Recent tests have shown that for lighter pilots, the heavy helmet can pose a danger during an ejection, and lighter-weight helmets have been ordered. Delivery is expected in 12 to 18 months, according to the Air Force Times.

And while Air Force officials confirm that $400,000 is a good estimate, that cost is included in the overall cost of the airplane, and estimating a specific cost for an individual component can be difficult.

(Images from file)

FMI: https://www.f35.com/about/capabilities/helmet