Fri, Jan 15, 2010
$8.2M To Provide Helmet Display And Tracker System For USMC
Helos
The United States Marine Corps has
awarded an $8.3 million contract to Elbit Systems of America for
Helmet Display and Tracker System (HDTS) for the USMC AH-1W Attack
Helicopter. The contract effort covers the development of retrofit
kits to incorporate HDTS into the AH-1W helicopter. The company
will be assisted in this program by subcontractors Elbit Systems
Ltd. Aerospace Division as well as Service Support Associates
Inc.
Elbit Systems of America was chosen based upon the previously
successful 1st flight of HDTS on the USMC AH-1W in November 2007 at
NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The HDTS system provides significant
increases in situational awareness and safety by allowing pilots to
fly "head out of the cockpit" during day and night operations and
combines it with Other Pilot Line of Sight (OPLOS) information.
This information further increases crew situational awareness and
effectiveness, while reducing workload. The system is based on the
proven Elbit Systems ANVIS/HUD which has been in use by U.S. Army,
U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines and U.S. Air Force rotary wing pilots since
the mid- 1990's. The system is installed on most of the U.S.
utility and cargo helicopter fleet platforms, including the UH-60L,
CH-53E, CH-47D, CH-46E, UH-1N, V-22 and others, and has seen
extensive operational use in Iraq and Afghanistan.
AH-1W
"Elbit Systems of America is pleased
and honored to support the USMC AH-1W team," said Raanan Horowitz,
President and CEO. "The previous demonstration efforts were
completed months ahead of schedule and we will press ahead for
similar results in this program phase. Production deliveries of the
HDTS will provide greatly enhanced situational awareness and reduce
cockpit workload for the USMC war-fighter in the AH-1W
cockpit."
In combination with OPLOS and weapons aiming and targeting
information, the HDTS will provide US Marine Corps helicopter
pilots with flight data symbology 24 hours a day, utilizing new,
light-weight flat panel displays superimposed over helmet mounted
night vision goggles for the night, and the Day HUD for day display
of relevant flight symbology.
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