Forum: Modern Military Aircraft

07:59 GMT, July 30, 2012 JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii | In its first operational test with maritime operations, nine 47th Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots are debuting new helmet and survival radio technologies during the Rim of the Pacific exercise here June 29 through Aug. 3.

One of the new technologies is the Scorpion system, which is integrated into the pilot's current helmet, said Lt. Col. Tom McNurlin of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command Test Center in Tucson, Ariz.

According to McNurlin, the new helmet system takes all the information in the aircraft and positions it on the ground so that each pilot can look at a heads-up display and know exactly where the targets are positioned on the ground without ever losing visual contact of these targets.

"This system is three times as accurate (as what is currently fielded), full color and supports 512 lines of sight," he added. "It is a huge safety improvement and situational improvement."

McNurlin and two other pilots from the test center and one from the 53rd Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., are overseeing the operations during RIMPAC, which is the first time the technology has been tested during a large-scale maritime operation.

The 47th Fighter Squadron was tasked with the testing of the system due to the fact that they were going to be involved in RIMPAC, and the system needed to be tested in a fully operational environment.

"This system has greatly enhanced situational awareness and the ability to target more dynamically and quickly," said Lt. Col. Robin Sandifer, a pilot with the 47th Fighter Squadron, who has tested the system. "It is any effective way to positively identify a target on the ground or in the air."