Kopin Continues to Drive Innovation Forward with F-35 Microdisplay Program

As the largest procurement program in the Department of Defense (DoD), the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter initiative is the country’s ongoing effort to replace existing combat jets with F-35 jets in the US armed forces, including the United States Air Force, the Marine Corps, and the Navy.

Much of the functionality is enabled through the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS), which is the pilot’s augmented reality helmet, developed by Collins Elbit Vision Systems, LLC (CEVS), a joint venture between Collins Aerospace and Elbit America. Kopin’s high-brightness AMLCD (active-matrix liquid-crystal display) micro-display (built in support of Collins’ build of the F-35 AR helmet) is used to provide the pilot with vast quantities of flight, tactical, and sensor information for advanced situational awareness, precision and safety. The extensive functionality and extreme conditions experienced by US armed forces require unique display technology that can withstand different environments, situations and combat.

Kopin has been the sole supplier of micro-displays for the F-35 pilot helmets since the program’s inception, and has since provided thousands of displays to date. With the F-35 scheduled for production through 2030, Kopin expects additional orders over the life of the program.

Since its inception, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program has already seen significant advancements, and is looking ahead at the development of the next generation F-35 AR helmet micro-display. Kopin is engaged in a development program to production-qualify the next generation OLED (organic light emitting diode) micro-display for the F-35 HMD. Kopin has achieved a major milestone by completing its full performance validation of the OLED micro-display in preparation for customer qualification and flight testing. This next-generation display, featuring high dynamic range, is poised to meet stringent performance requirements, ensuring Kopin remains the sole provider of production displays for the F-35 program.