Helmet Mounted Display Model (Grey)

The Airbus Helicopters Tiger, formerly known as the Eurocopter Tiger, is a four-bladed, twin-engined attack helicopter which first entered service in 2003. It is manufactured by Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters), the successor company to Aérospatiale's and DASA's respective helicopter divisions, which designate it as the EC665. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre. Originally the German variant was known as  the PAH-2 "Panzerabwehr hubschrauber" (anti-tank helicopter). The PAH-2 name has now been dropped in favour of the designation UH-Tiger or simply UH-T for  ‘Unterstutzungshubschrauber Tiger’ or Support Helicopter.  The UH-T has been deployed in theatre to Afghanistan.

The German variant has a Helmet Mounted Display supplied by GEC Avionics (now BAE Systems); the French versions have a different HMD. This Helmet Mounted Display was derived from the I-NIGHT HMD specially developed to meet the German Army requirements for the Tiger Attack Helicopter. Still in production today, Knighthelm™  is a day and night capable HMD providing sensor imagery and integrated night vision at night with flight and targeting symbology available both day and night. The binocular prismatic optical system provides a 40degree Field of View from a CRT and/or a NVG. The information (symbology and raster video) is projected onto a clear combiners placed in front of each of the pilot’s eyes. These combiners can be flipped up out of the line of sight to enable full uninterrupted vision or to interface with a Gunners Sight. The system incorporates a one piece module for both day and night missions which clips on to an inner helmet shell such that the inner is form fitted to the pilot but the complex outer is interchangeable. The HMD operates with a pulsed DC Magnetic Tracker system. An interesting feature of the system is that the integrated NVG’s allow the pilot to find the helicopter and start the mission from a darkened airbase.

INVS was the top of a range of helmet systems called Knighthelm™ which started with a simple monocular sight through to the full INVS. Another version in the family was called I-Nights.

I-Nights is an  Integrated Night Vision HMD providing sensor imagery and integrated night vision at night with flight and targeting symbology available both day and night. The binocular prismatic optical system provides a 40degree Field of View from a CRT and/or a NVG. The information (symbology and raster video) is projected onto a clear combiners placed in front of each of the pilot’s eyes. The system incorporates a one piece module for both day and night missions which clips on to an inner helmet shell such that the inner is form fitted to the pilot but the complex outer is interchangeable. The HMD operates with a pulsed DC Magnetic Tracker system.

The HMD was first flight tested used for PAH-1/AVT trials in Germany with the German Army Air Corps and also on the Integrated Night Vision Helmet (INVH) programme with the US Navy when comprehensive flight qualification testing was carried out in 1989 and 1990.The HMD was cleared for rotary wing and jet flight test (450 knot) and used with head-steered FLIRs. Other testing was carried out on  the F-16 (AFTI), German Airforce Tornado,  C-130 and a number of helicopters such as the BO-105,  Lynx, Gazelle, BK-117. A proposal was submitted to McDonnel Douglas in 1990 by the Company for the F/A-18 but was not successful.

An advanced version of the I-Night HMD was produced for USAF flight trials on the AFTI F-16.  This  system flew out of Edwards AFB and followed on from Falcon Eye using a dual FLIR sensor to provide both pilotage and targeting FLIR display to the pilot on his HMD. This was the first use of picture in picture to display pilotage FLIR over the full HMD field of view, with an inset pop up picture of the targeting FLIR imagery. Although the I-Nights did not progress beyond a trials programme this solution laid the foundation for BAE Systems future integrated HMD development.