Military fighter pilots feel a lot of pressure during flight and must always remain alert. To make it more comfortable for them to fly the plane without losing sight of enemies, military engineers are developing high-tech helmets. The best of them at the moment is the Striker II HMD - in addition to being lightweight and not straining the pilot's neck, the electronics built into it allow him to see enemies through the aircraft body. The way pilots see the world through this helmet is shown in a video from the British company BAE Systems.
The new helmet is based on the Striker HMD helmet, which has been used by fighter pilots under the names Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab JAS 39 Gripen for several years. Thanks to the display built into the helmet, pilots can see information about the tilt of the fighter in front of them, and know where the enemy aircraft is at the moment.
The best helmet for pilots
The Striker II HMD helmet is equipped with a night vision system similar to those used in rifle scopes and any other military equipment. Thanks to her, the pilot can fight even in the dark - he will see everything in green, but he will always be aware of what the enemy is doing. The technology works due to the fact that each object always reflects light invisible to the human eye - special devices magnify it many times, making objects visible.
The most intriguing feature of a British helmet is of course the ability to see through the aircraft body. The technology is actually not as amazing as it might seem. The fact is that on the body of modern aircraft there are several cameras that shoot everything going on around. The "transparent plane" effect is created by broadcasting video from these cameras onto a screen in front of the pilot's eyes.
Apparently, the technology is very similar to virtual reality. A variety of sensors are built into the helmet that monitor the position of the pilot's head. Thus, he can look down, or look around - so he can see what is happening around him.
Promotional video:
Aviation helmet Striker II HMD.
Also, the helmet is equipped with a surround sound system and a noise suppression system. Thanks to them, the pilot can clearly hear commands from the ground and messages from other pilots. At the same time, he can hear the surrounding sounds, signaling danger - if an explosion occurred behind the plane, he will clearly hear it and will approximately know where it happened.
The most comfortable helmet
The interior of each helmet will be manufactured separately to fit each pilot's head. This way they will be less tired, which means they will fight much longer and with greater attention.
However, in the near future, such helmets may become useless. The fact is that Boeing has already begun developing a fighter that will fight independently, without the help of a pilot. Its first flight will take place in 2020.
Ramis Ganiev