Helmet for the Mirage

At the Paris Air Show last year, Sextant Avionique announced that successful flight trials of its Topsight E helmet-mounted sight/display had been completed in a Mirage 2000. Topsight E displays critical information, protects the pilot, and provides communications. In the display of critical information, Topsight E has three main functions:

* Visual target designation—by transmitting the target’s line of sight to the nav/attack system. Used with modern missiles, Topsight allows pilots to perform wide off-boresight target designation.
* Visual target acquisition—using reverse cueing mode where the display symbology guides the pilot’s eyes to the target tracked by the aircraft sensors. The nav/attack system provides spatial data.
* Situational awareness—based on concise display of vital information (tactical, navigation, safety, etc).

Topsight allows air forces to use existing oxygen masks without modifications. It also can be reconfigured in-flight on trainers to mimic the avionics and display symbology of various fighters, including the Mirage 2000. It has four integrated operational modes:

* Navigation is based on ring laser gyro INS with embedded GPS receiver.
* Air-to-air weapon delivery includes guns, rockets and high- and low-drag bombs using continuous computation of impact point (CCIP) and continuous computation of release point (CCRP).
* Training includes failure simulations, as well as target and threat simulations.
* The Topflight avionics suite features a full glass cockpit and HOTAS control, plus a range of avionics, linked to a 1553 multiplex bus.