Vision Systems International (VSI) has delivered the 1,000th Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) two years ahead of schedule, company officials say.

“Given today’s advanced radar systems and electro-optical devices coupled with high off-boresight weapons, pilots with HMDs have a distinct advantage in the battlespace,” says Jim Wojtasek, president of VSI.

JHMCS provides pilots with a “first look, first shot” capability when employed with high off-boresight weapons under high-g conditions, VSI officials say. The system allows pilots to lock-on and fire at enemy aircraft without having to maneuver their aircraft into position. The pilot needs only to point his head at the target and weapon systems are automatically cued to the target. JHMCS is also highly effective when used in air-to-ground target engagements and was used extensively in this manner in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In both air-to-air and air-to-ground modes, targeting cues and aircraft parameters are displayed on the pilot’s visor.

VSI is currently in full-rate production on the JHMCS and has delivered systems for the U.S. military’s F-15, F-16, and F-18 platforms, as well as a number of international platforms.

VSI, a joint venture between EFW Inc., an Elbit Systems of America company and a subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd., and Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was formed in 1996 to pursue fixed-wing helmet-mounted display (HMD) opportunities worldwide. In addition to production of JHMCS and DASH (Display and Sight Helmet) Generation IV HMDs, VSI is in development on the advanced helmet mounted display for the F-35 (JSF) under contract to Lockheed Martin.