British Aerospace has selected Smiths Industries to supply multi-function flat-panel displays for the Eurofighter Typhoon. Smiths said it expects to supply some 3,000 displays, including spares, using full-color, sunlight-readable active-matrix, liquid-crystal display (AMLCD) technology.

The 6-inch-by-6-inch screens, three in each cockpit, replace cathode-ray tube devices used on Typhoon prototypes. AMLCD technology has been developed since the European fighter was designed, and offers significant weight, power and reliability improvements over older CRT technology.

By Bill Sweetman