System to Complement U.K. Typhoon Fleet

The U.K. Ministry of Defense (MOD) has awarded BAE Systems a contract to develop its Striker II Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) for the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft.

Developed at BAE Systems’ Rochester, Kent facility, Striker II is among the world’s most advanced fighter helmets. The device comprises technologies by which its constituent all-digital night-vision system and daylight-readable color-display are seamlessly integrated into a comprehensive, panoramic view of the flight and combat environments.

Striker II displays data directly onto the user-pilot’s helmet visor, providing an augmented-reality syncretism of real-world and mission-critical information.

Under the newly-awarded contract, BAE Systems engineers will mature the helmet’s capability ahead of the start of initial production. Qualification and integration flight-testing of the system will be undertaken at BAE Systems’ combat air-site in Warton, Lancashire.

BAE Systems managing director Europe and international air sector Andrea Thompson stated: “Striker II will provide the RAF’s Typhoon pilots with a crucial advantage—offering unrivaled situational awareness from the cockpit while helping to avoid sensory overload, which is vital in a high-tech and fast-paced environment.”

Ms. Thompson added: “This contract will enable our electronics and combat air experts to work together to develop the helmet to further enhance the critical role Typhoon pilots play in round-the-clock defense and security of our nation.”

U.K. Minister for Defense Procurement James Cartlidge remarked: “Striker II helmets boast cutting-edge displays of data and are adaptable to the increasing demands of battlespaces. This investment will support the development of state-of-the-art equipment for future aviators, whilst also backing hundreds of highly-skilled jobs.”

The contract, valued at £40-million ($49,955,200), will create and sustain more than two-hundred highly-skilled jobs at BAE Systems’ sites in Kent and Lancashire. In total, the Typhoon program sustains more than 20,800 jobs across the UK.

FMI: www.baesystems.com