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Look, Shoot and Leave
A Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, like the ones used by U.S. military fighter pilots during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq, is on display here.
JHMCS gives pilots the ability to rapidly acquire and engage an air or ground target simply by looking at it, pointing an aiming cross on the helmet visor on the target, and pressing a switch to fire a weapon. The system, made by prime contractor Boeing and Vision Systems International, a joint venture between Elbit Systems Ltd. and Rockwell Collins, entered full rate production last month.
The team is building 300 units under this new contract after completing four low-rate initial production orders. The system won praise from U.S. fighter pilots who used it in Iraq. The first look, first shoot capability makes for rapid engagements, allowing pilots to evade enemy fire and increase the chance of returning unharmed.
U.S. Air Force F-15s, F-16s, F/A-22s and U.S. Navy F/A-18s will all be equipped with the JHMCS. U.S. and international customers are expected to order more than 2,000 systems. In addition to targeting information, the JHMCS will display aircraft altitude, airspeed, g forces, angle of attack and tactical information on the visor for improved situational awareness.
Elbit of Israel has developed three different generations of helmet mounted cuing systems for the Israeli Air Force for use in fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The display systems provide target designation, sensor slaving and processing of tactical data. Elbit fixed wing technology is the basis of JHMCS.
For air-to-air engagements, the JHMCS will allow pilots to aim the new model AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air heat-seeking missile. The AIM-9X has high-off-boresight engagement capability with a seeker that can look left or right while the missile is on the rail to acquire a target. By simply turning his head, a pilot will be able to slew the missile seeker to pick up an enemy aircraft. It won't be necessary to turn the aircraft onto the tail of the opponent. A head-on shot is possible, and once the AIM-9X is locked on and fired it can even take a 180-degree turn to pursue the enemy aircraft as it passes off the left or right wing of the engaging aircraft.
The Russian Air Force and Israeli Air Force have used helmet mounted cuing systems with high-off-boresight missiles for many years. The capability started entering U.S. service only recently.
JHMCS can be seen at the show at the Elbit exhibit in Hall 1, Stand C-18.
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