Elbit Systems wins $17M contract to supply BrightNite situational awareness system for air force helicopter pilots

HAIFA, Israel. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) in Haifa, Israel, won an approximately $17 million, 30-month contract to supply BrightNite multi-spectral systems, designed to increase helicopter pilots’ situational awareness, to an air force in a NATO country.

BrightNite provides a clear visual of the landscape, flight data, and mission data directly to both eyes of the pilot, enabling intuitive flight in a head-up, eyes-out orientation in pitch dark and other degraded visual environment (DVE) and low-visibility landing conditions.

BrightNite “enables helicopter pilots to gain highly advanced operational capabilities by flying in more than 90 percent of the nights and in adverse weather conditions,” says Elbit Systems President/CEO Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis.

Low-flying helicopters are vulnerable to threats, such as difficult terrain, enemy fire, and obstacles in the flight path; at the same time, sorties are performed day and night and in DVE conditions, adding to the already heavy workload. Prior to BrightNite, flight crews have had to rely on night-vision goggles (which have limited capabilities) to accomplish their mission. Factors like complete darkness, poor weather conditions, brownouts, whiteouts and sandstorms limit the pilots' Field of View (FOV).

BrightNite is designed to be lightweight, compact, cost-effective, and suitable for a variety of missions, such as Special Forces and search and rescue.

Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international high-tech company engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security, and commercial programs throughout the world. The company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land, and naval systems; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR); unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); advanced electro-optics and electro-optic space systems; EW suites; signal intelligence systems; data links and communications systems; radios; and cyber-based systems. The company also focuses on upgrading existing platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial applications and providing a range of support services, including training and simulation systems.

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