F-22 Raptor fighter pilots get next-generation helmets

The US Air Force has begun testing next-generation helmets for F-22 Raptor fighter pilots. They will be a replacement for the HGU-55/P.

Here's What We Know

The developer of the next generation helmet is the company LIFT Airborne Technologies from California. The tests are taking place at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Five pilots of F-22 Raptor 301st Fighter Squadron and engineers of 46th Test and 28th Test and Evaluation Squadrons participate in the tests.

Pilots now use HGU-55/P helmets developed in the 1980s. They are no longer up to date and sometimes cause back or neck problems for pilots. When the g-force reaches 9G the helmet weighs more than 12kg.

The next generation helmet is being developed as part of the Next Generation Fixed Wing-Helmet (NGFWH) programme. It is made of carbon fibre which makes it approximately half the weight of the HGU-55/P. There is an air vent at the rear and padded liners inside the unit which pilots can adjust manually.

Source: The War Zone