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VSI awarded contract for Night Vision Cueing and Display program
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SAN JOSE, Calif. (May 3, 2005) - Vision Systems International, LLC (VSI), a leader in advanced Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) technology has been awarded a $3.3 million contract from the U.S. Navy for the development of the Night Vision Cueing and Display system (NVCD). The NVCD, based on a proprietary Night Vision system known as QuadEye™, will dramatically expand the capability and effectiveness of VSI’s Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) by providing the war fighter with image intensified night vision integrated with standard HMD symbology and Line of Sight (LOS).
JHMCS, the helmet mounted display of choice for both the U.S. Armed Forces and air forces worldwide, provides the pilot with exceptional situational awareness through visor projected symbology and accurate head tracking capability. Projected information includes weapons status and aiming, target cueing and aircraft state parameters imbedded in the night vision scene. VSI’s NVCD QuadEye™ is fully modular providing a 40- by 40-degree night field-of-view (FOV) in standard configuration, or optionally can be easily expanded to 100- by 40-degree FOV. VSI’s QuadEye™ provides high-resolution night image in a lightweight, well-balanced package, providing JHMCS with a full 24-hour operational capability.
The history of U.S. Naval Air operations in recent theaters of conflict has demonstrated that a majority of naval air combat missions were, and continue to be, night missions. Operational testing of JHMCS has shown that it is a force multiplier that is effective in both air dominance and strike missions. QuadEye™ provides the much needed JHMCS capability at night. The Navy’s prerequisite for integrated night vision included the requirement to leverage existing technology without modification to the aircraft’s installed JHMCS hardware. As JHMCS is a modular “day” system, the current Display Unit can be quickly exchanged with NVCD’s QuadEye™ Night Vision Display Unit to support round-the-clock missions.
Under this contract VSI will provide an advanced development capability for JHMCS Night Vision. “This award is a testament to both the revolutionary capabilities JHMCS offers the war fighters as well as the dedication to the success of the program from our industry partners and customers,” stated Jim Wojtasek, President of VSI. “This latest contract from the Navy further reinforces VSI’s leadership in advanced night helmet mounted cueing systems.”
VSI, a joint venture between EFW Inc. a subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) and Rockwell Collins (NYSE:COL), 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.
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