The F-35’s $400,000 Flight Helmet

The F-35’s $400,000 Flight Helmet can see through the aircraft, it’s one of the most advanced system on the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

Images credit Lockheed Martin

The F-35’s Flight Helmet integrates night vision and a virtual HUD (Head Up Display), FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) and DAS (Distributed Aperture System) imaging.

According to Lockheed Martin:

The F-35’s Helmet Mounted Display Systems provide pilots with unprecedented situational awareness. All the information pilots need to complete their missions – airspeed, heading, altitude, targeting information and warnings – is projected on the helmet’s visor, rather than on a traditional Heads-up Display. This approach greatly reduces the pilot’s workload and increases responsiveness. Additionally, the F-35’s Distributed Aperture System (DAS) streams real-time imagery from six infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft to the helmet, allowing pilots to “look through” the airframe. The helmet also provides pilots night vision through the use of an integrated camera.