BAE Systems debuts digital ‘Striker II’ helmet-mounted display system

BAE Systems on July 16 unveiled its Striker II Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD), a fully digital solution that provides today’s combat pilot with exceptional night vision and target tracking technology, integrated within a visor-projected system.

With decades of combat-proven experience, the new platform-agnostic Striker II HMD builds upon BAE Systems’ current Striker HMD, which has been successfully deployed on Eurofighter Typhoon and Gripen fleets.

“As the industry transitions from analogue to digital display solutions, Striker II brings a superior, fully digital capability to multiple platform types”

“As the industry transitions from analogue to digital display solutions, Striker II brings a superior, fully digital capability to multiple platform types,” said Joseph Senftle, vice president and general manager for communications and controls solutions at BAE Systems. “Designed to address evolving mission requirements with advanced digital night vision technology, our new HMD was built to be ‘future proof’ and seamlessly adaptable to technology advancements in the years ahead.”

Delivering breakthrough abilities for night combat, the Striker II brings its high performance digital night vision camera inside the helmet, which helps reduce g-force effects on the pilot’s head and neck to improve comfort, and eliminates the need to manually configure and adjust night vision goggle (NVG) hardware for day-to-night transitions.

With its binocular visor-projected display performance, the new system integrates a center-mounted ISIE-11 sensor based on Intevac Photonics’ patented advanced imaging sensor technology, known as the electron bombarded active pixel sensor (EBAPS). This advanced sensor strengthens the display’s night vision acuity — bringing the system’s night vision performance to a level equal to or better than HMDs using current NVGs. The new configuration also significantly reduces weight, when compared to today’s HMD/NVG solutions.

This next-generation HMD also includes a cutting-edge tracking system that ensures the pilot’s exact head position and the aircraft computer system are continuously in sync, reducing problems common to other HMDs. The Striker II tracking system, with new hybrid opto-inertial technology, eliminates any delay in determining where the pilot is looking and can therefore perfectly position symbology onto the visor. The results are high-precision target tracking and engagement as well as superior situational awareness and mission effectiveness.