Business & GA

BAE Systems has started production of the Eurofighter Typhoon’s head equipment assembly (HEA), RAF sources are expecting to receive the HEA during the first quarter of 2008 for operational testing and evaluation, but the manufacturer has announced only that deliveries are scheduled to begin early in 2009.

Some sources suggest that the Typhoon has already been disadvantaged by its lack of a helmet mounted cueing system during training exercises with less agile adversaries that do have helmet-mounted sights and high off boresight (HOBS) missiles, which are commonplace on real world threat aircraft like the MiG-29 and Su-27.

Criticism

There has been criticism of the RAF’s decision not to integrate an interim helmet – such as the BAE HMSS used by the RAF’s Jaguar fighter bombers.
The full Typhoon HEA uses state of the art technology, and will, of course, offer considerably greater capability than simple helmet-mounted cueing systems. The new helmet will still allow the pilot to ‘point’ sensors and weapons simply by looking at the target, and can cue missiles, and sensors, or use the helmet sightline to load a ground target into the navigation system.

The HEA can provide complex symbology to the pilot in daylight, at night, and in adverse weather conditions, and remains stable even under high g forces, and also incorporates a respirator for protection in nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare environments. During early trials, the helmet successfully survived an ejection speed of 600kt.

Andy Start, managing director of BAE Systems Rochester division described the Typhoon HEA as: “The most technologically advanced helmet in the defence avionics market, the safest, most sustainable, and most accurate helmet-mounted display developed to date.”
The Typhoon HEA is a version of the BAE Striker helmet – which, in its Cobra form, is already in service with South African Gripens.