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Help meeeee....

Insider movie reference.

Cool helmet. The new helmet for the F35 fighter. It's also the Heads Up Display, or HUD. Meaning the pilot will get the data he needs to fly and flight the aircraft - displayed on the inside of his visor. More details here, at Strategy Page, along with a bigger picture.

One thing I have long disliked about all the command and control widgetry we are giving commanders in our endless quest for Perfect Situation Awareness and Zero Blue-on-Blue kills, is that for the most part, it has the effect of pulling the vehicle and unit commanders eyes down into the vehicle, or looking at a wrist computer, laptop, some form of display. I've been involved in the experiments where we are evaluating these technologies, and it really does make a difference when you suck the leader into the box - he can lose sight of what's right in front of him, and he gets too dependent on the tech.

I've long thought that to make this work we have to push the technology so that for combat vehicles the data is displayed in the sights, and that the troops (at least leaders/vehicle commanders) get some form of capability as represented by this helmet - which doesn't look all that practical from a ground-pounders point of view and I'm sure isn't robust enough.

Time will tell.

Update: As FBL noted in the comments - Lex cuts to the heart of the matter, for pilots anyway. Will it help you pick up chicks? Consensus - not the ones you *want* to pick up, anyway!

Updated update: I take that back - it will probably attract the BCR kind of chicks, too. So it can't be all bad - as long as you are tough enough to keep up with 'em!

11 Comments

Lex had a very funny post about this that elicited hilarious comments.
 
I may suck wind on the weapons posts........but I am good with the movie references! The Fly!
 
Well, that just means that if you can wade through them, the weapons posts are educational. Right? 8^)
 
Why does that make think of the helmet assembly Clint Eastwood had in Firefox?
 
This BCR kind of chick would like to try out that cool helmet with heads-up display. And the plane that goes with, and the things-go-boom attached, and ... Have you noticed they never leave the keys in the cockpit at the air shows? Unsporting, I call it.
 
'Nuther movie reference: "You're not bad for a bug eyed little creep."
 
Doesn't look very durable to me. While at Rockwell, I did a bit of work with the Hughs A10INS unit that was part of the Space Shuttle's HUD and it was pretty durable.
 
Couple oldies but goodies for y'all...... Q: How do you know when a fighter pilot is in a bar?? A: He'll tell you. Q: What's the difference between God and a fighter pilot?? A: God doesn't think he's a fighter pilot. I was bored, what can I say???
 
Two thoughts here: 1. Do any chicks want to smell like the kind of thing a critter who looks like that would be attracted to? 2. I wonder how much that thing weighs. I imagine pulling a 6g turn wearing that thing, and leaning yer head to one side, and not being able to straighten up again before you die.
 
John - Yeah, that's why I come here........for the education. JTG - Speaking for myself (not exactly a chick), I'm not attracted to bug man. When I'm in a bar, I'm looking for the guy with the black shoes.
 
BlSp, but do you have to think in Russian for the weapons systems to work while wearing that thing? ;)
 
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