For this week’s Weapon of the Week, the team takes a closer look at the helmets used by the U.S. Army that contain integrated heads-up displays. Host Ryan Robertson talked with Marcus Gengler, director for rotary wing applications at Gentex, to discuss the company’s latest developments.
Robertson: So Marcus, talk to me about these helmets. Obviously, you’ve been making helmets since the ’40s. You have the ground helmets that most soldiers are familiar with, but you guys also have other helmets.
Gengler: We do. That’s right, that’s right, as you can see. You know, we have a very big segment now in the special operations helmet, but my segment happens to be Army aviation and aviation in general.
We’ve made the HGU-56/P now for about 30-plus years.
Robertson: And this is something that every helicopter pilot is familiar with.
Gengler: Every helicopter pilot that flies for the DoD is familiar with this helmet. You know, the Army’s had it now for 30 years. The Navy is fielding it for their younger aviators, the Marines and the Air Force, have had this as well.
You’ll notice that the Block III Apache Helmet is now very similar to the HGU-56/P. There was a unique helmet for this when the Apache was first fielded. When they fielded the ECHO model Apache, we went to a standardized helmet. So, the common design is the same.
However, the uniqueness of this helmet is the fact that their integrated heads-up display connects to this helmet in a unique way, very different than the standard 56/P. So, that monocle comes up here, sits at the eye of the aviator so that he can fly from that.
The HGU-56/P has been around for many years and we’re finally giving it a tech refresh, we’re calling it the lockdown liner. What that is, for those that are of your audience that are familiar with these helmets, many times these teeth, the impact liner that’s been inside has been a one-piece liner, many times are a little uncomfortable.
So, we’ve now broken it up into three different distinct pieces that allow for some breathability and comfort, as well as an octa-dial that allows for a more stable fit for the back of the nape strap. This should allow for those that fly with goggles or other head-born devices to have a little bit more stable and more comfortable feel.
We’re looking forward to fielding that sometime in 2025 and we’re really excited to show it here at the show.
Robertson: So, helicopter pilots have some more comfort to look forward to. Last little thing I want to talk to you about, you mentioned the heads-up display on the Apache helicopter. What kind of information are they able to see that you’re able to put up in that heads-up display?
Gengler: So, AH-64 pilots today are able to take this, the image that’s being produced from their forward-looking infrared as well as their day TV cameras, and they’re able to portray that information into their helmets. They use it for targeting purposes. Many of the gun footage that we’re familiar with is taken from the image that’s produced for that heads-up display. So, we’re very familiar with what it looks like.
It also has data that allows the pilots to fly, so basically a rate of descent, rate of climb, whether they’re in trim, airspeed, altitude, those sorts of information is also available for them as well. One of the biggest pushes for the Army and in Army aviation is to improve upon the heads-up displays that are available for aviators.
So, we partner a lot with our industry partners when it comes to heads-up displays and heads-up display technology. Because much like an aircraft is a platform, we believe our helmet system is a platform with which other industry partners will use to put their kit and capability on. So, we’re excited to work with them.
