The US Department of Defense has awarded optical solutions developer Kopin a $3.4-million contract to deliver additional high-brightness liquid crystal displays for F-35 pilot helmets.
A $4.8-million agreement for the equipment was also signed in May 2022.
The orders support the country’s ongoing Joint Strike Fighter program that will eventually replace existing combat jets in the US armed forces.
Kopin’s Microdisplays
Several F-35 functionalities are applied through augmented reality or AR helmets, which leverage Kopin’s microdisplay that projects tactical, flight, and sensor data.
The company has thousands of microdisplays for F-35 pilot helmets and remains the component’s only supplier since the program’s launch.
Kopin is expected to supply the technology for the growing fighter fleet until the initiative’s end in 2030.
“This follow-on order extends our backlog of scheduled deliveries into the fourth quarter of 2024, providing steady production,” Kopin Strategy & Business Development VP Bill Maffucci stated.
“As the sole provider of displays to the F-35 production program, we benefit from our strong relationship with the DOD in obtaining valuable feedback, which we leverage to continuously improve our display technology.”
“This feedback and the enhancements have implications for the F-35 program as well as for other programs that are in development.”
