ABSTRACT
The introduction of helmet-mounted displays (HMDs) may allow pilots to attack targets at greater distances and at greater angles away from their flight-path by allowing them to ‘look and aim’ their sensors onto an area of interest, rather than using the conventional method of steering the aircraft directly over the area. The validity of this assumption was tested in an experiment that compared a ‘footprint’ symbology in an HMD with the conventional head-up display (HUD) method in a series of final engagement aiming tasks. The aiming footprint represented the area on the ground over which the weapon would search for targets. In the HUD the footprint was slewable in azimuth, via a joystick control, and therefore the off-boresight capability was limited to the confines of the HUD. In the HMD the footprint was slaved to the pilot’s head azimuth, which increased the off-boresight capability. Twelve fast-jet pilots participated in the trial in the DERA fused imagery simulation testbed (FIST) facility. The results demonstrated the ability of the HMD weapon aiming to reduce the total time taken to release the weapon and the flexibility to release the weapon off-boresight.
