System requirements for head down and helmet mounted displays in the military avionics environment

Summary form only given. The introduction of flat panel display technologies into the military avionics cockpit is a challenging proposition, due to the very difficult system level requirements which must be met. These relate to environmental extremes (temperature and vibrational), severe ambient lighting conditions (10,000 fL, to nighttime viewing), night vision system compatibility, and wide viewing angle. At the same time, the display system must be packaged in minimal space and use minimal power. We present details on the display system requirements for both head down and helmet mounted systems, as well as information on how these challenges may be overcome.