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!