Saab AB, Swedish Air Force new generation Gripen fighters will be equipped with the latest version of a helmet mounted display (HMD) system. The order from FMV, Sweden's Defence Material Administration is worth SEK 345 million (US$S 54 million).
The helmet mounted display system, including the BAE Systems Cobra helmet, is a key element of Gripen's advanced systems fit and has already been ordered by the South African Air Force.
“This order is further evidence of the confidence Sweden has in Gripen,” says Lennart Sindahl, business unit manager at Saab Aerosystems. “HMD further improves the Swedish Gripen fleet's already expansive operating capacity.”
The HMD displays weapon and basic flight data directly onto the helmet visor, allowing the Gripen pilot to stay 'heads-up' at crucial points during a mission and to react faster in an aerial battle, for example. Using the system, the pilot can search out a target, lock on to it and fire his missile.
The HMD system has been tested on the Gripen new generation fighter since 2005 and is available as an option on the export version of Gripen. Saab's experience with HMD's dates back nearly 10 years and big efforts have been poured into system development and symbology evolution.
Gripen is the first of the new generation, multi-role combat aircraft to enter service. Using the latest available technology it is capable of performing an extensive range of air-to-air and air-to-surface operational missions and employing the latest weapons. Gripen is designed to meet the demands of current and future threats, while at the same time meeting strict requirements for flight safety, reliability, training efficiency and low operating costs.
Gripen is in service with the Swedish, Czech Republic and Hungarian Air Forces and has also been ordered by the South African Air Force. The UK Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS) is operating Gripen as its advanced fast jet platform for test pilots worldwide.
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