Aircraft

Italy's Alenia Aeronautica has entered into a teaming agreement with Elbit Systems to integrate and demonstrate the Israeli company's HMD Lite helmet-mounted display with its C-27J Spartan tactical transport.

The companies early this year signed a memorandum of understanding, under which the HMD Lite system has already undergone preliminary flight testing with the C-27J, which participated in the Farnborough air show.

Alenia is also involved in tailoring the HMD Lite's symbology software for C-27J missions, using the company's flight simulator as a development, test and evaluation environment, says Montrucchio.

The new work will be completed early next year, when it will be possible to perform customer demonstrations using the equipment, says Montrucchio.

Using a monocular display, the HMD Lite design can be reconfigured in flight from a day to night configuration, and can also display forward-looking infrared, radar or other aircraft sensor images.

Also at the show, Alenia signed a nine-year agreement under which Rolls-Royce will remain the sole propulsion system supplier for the twin-engined type, supplying its AE2100D2. R-R says the pact values a potential $900 million.