The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) incorporates the latest technology for aerial warfighting. To support this aircraft's mission and to provide the pilot with the increased situational awareness needed in today's battlespace, a panoramic AMLCD was developed and is being deployed for the first time. This 20" by 8" display is the largest fielded to date in a tactical fighter. Key system innovations had to be employed to allow this technology to function in this demanding environment. Certain older generation aircraft are now considering incorporating a panoramic display to provide their crews with this level of increased capability.
Key design issues that had to be overcome dealt with sunlight readability, vibration resistance, touchscreen operation, and reliability concerns to avoid single-point failures. A completely dual redundant system design had to be employed to ensure that the pilot would always have access to critical mission and flight data.
Current military activity has made great use of small Special Tactics / Special Forces teams operating on the ground in forward areas of battle, directing Battlefield Air Operations (BAO), which include close air support, air traffic control management, and target identification and designation. A recent National Priority has been identified to improve the BAO Kit used by these Special Tactics Groups to reduce errors that may lead to unintended ground casualties. The primary objectives of the upgraded BAO Kit are to 1) improve the range and accuracy of target information; 2) eliminate opportunities for error in weapon delivery; 3) link target coordinate information directly into the weapons computer; and 4) reduce the weight carried by the warfighter by 50%.
For these warfighters, L-3 Communications Display Systems and its technology partner, Universal Display Corporation, are utilizing advanced OLED display technology to create a powerful flexible display-based communication device. This will reduce the weight carried by the fighter by combining functions of the present computer, GPS equipment, and radio gear carried into the forward areas of battle. This will give the soldier a larger, higher resolution, increased battery life, and much lighter capability for the viewing of tactical information such as battlefield maps, GIS imaging data, command/control plots, and GPS-assisted navigational maps. Further integration of the device with voice and video messaging options will be explored. Both hand-held roll-up devices and wrist-worn devices are envisioned for the final product.
Through the years, there has been a steady evolution of technology to ruggedize displays for harsh military environments. This work has spanned cathode-ray-tubes (CRTs) to present day active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs). Organic light emitting device (OLED) display technology has the potential to solve many of the inherent limitations of today's AMLCD technology and to provide the military system designer with a more cost effective solution. OLED technology offers bright, colorful emissive light with excellent power efficiency, wide viewing angle and video response rates; it is also demonstrating the requisite environmental robustness for a wide variety of display applications. OLED displays also have a very thin and lightweight form factor. Moreover, in full production, OLEDs are projected to be very cost-effective by comparison to AMLCDs. This paper will examine some of these advantages and the opportunities presented by the rapidly emerging OLED display technology for military applications.
Conference Committee Involvement (7)
Display Technologies and Applications for Defense, Security, and Avionics V
25 April 2011 | Orlando, Florida, United States
Display Technologies and Applications for Defense, Security, and Avionics IV
6 April 2010 | Orlando, Florida, United States
Display Technologies and Applications for Defense, Security, and Avionics III
17 April 2009 | Orlando, Florida, United States
Display Technologies & Applications for Defense, Security, and Avionics II
20 March 2008 | Orlando, Florida, United States
Display Technologies & Applications for Defense, Security, & Avionics
12 April 2007 | Orlando, Florida, United States
Defense, Security, and Cockpit Displays III
19 April 2006 | Orlando (Kissimmee), Florida, United States
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