$97M Multi-national Order for JHMCS Fighter Pilot Helmets

DID has covered the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS) before, from its revolutionary effect on air combat when used with 4th generation SRAAMs like the AIM-9X Sidewinder, AA-11 Archer et. al., to the program’s rocky but ultimately successful history. JHMCS helmets are now a common request from countries who are upgrading their US-made fighters (as DID noted, Canada is the latest as part of its Phase 2 CF-18 upgrade).

Boeing Co. in St Louis, MO has just received a $97 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for “more than 400” JHMCS systems as Full Rate Production lot 3. They will equip the USAF’s F-15s and F-16s, the US Navy’s F/A-18 platforms, and foreign military sales including the Netherlands (F-16), Poland (F-16), Turkey (F-16C), the Royal Australian Air Force (F/A-18 C-D under HUG), Canada (F/A-18 A-B+), and Switzerland (F/A-18 C-D). Work will be complete by December 2008. The Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issued the contract (F33657-01-D-0026).

Boeing has contracted for more than 2,000 JHMCS systems over the past six years. They are the prime contractor and integrator for JHMCS, which is produced by the Rockwell Collins/ Elbit joint venture Vision Systems International, LLC, based in San Jose, CA. See Boeing’s March 17, 2006 release.