German sensor manufacturer Hensoldt announced on 28 November 2023 that, following a contract award from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), the optical sensors and the intelligent localisation system for BAE Systems Striker II helmet-mounted display (HMD) will be supplied by its subsidiary Hensoldt South Africa.
Developed by BAE Systems at its Rochester site and destined for the pilots of the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon fleet, the Striker II is one of the most advanced HMDs in the world. It uses the latest technologies to integrate its all-digital night vision system and daylight-readable colour display. Central to its capability is the optical helmet-tracking system developed by Hensoldt’s optronics division in South Africa.
Hensoldt says it will work in strategic collaboration with BAE Systems as part of the contract awarded by the UK MoD, building on a previous successful collaboration in the development of the Striker I helmet.
The company is also developing the Striker II’s inertial storage driver unit (ISDU): the electronic component that provides the helmet’s ‘intelligence’. This integral component uses sophisticated algorithms to convert data collected from the helmet’s sensors, the aircraft, navigation data and information about the aircraft’s surroundings into understandable symbology displayed on the pilot’s visor, according to Hensoldt. This real-time situational awareness enables pilots to make quick and informed decisions to increase their tactical advantage.
