Raytheon retools sensor displays for Army helicopter pilots

 Raytheon will furnish additional prototypes of sensors for a high-tech system designed to give Army helicopter pilots 360-degree situational awareness under a new $13 million contract.

Under the contract, Raytheon will provide surveillance capability and a series of enhancements for the Army’s Advanced Distributed Aperture System (ADAS), company officials said Oct. 7.

The enhancements include high-resolution sensors for the helmet display that would enable pilots to track hostile fire, improve vision for landing in low visibility conditions, enable infrared searching and tracking, and improve sound quality, the officials said.

The new contract is an extension of the Joint Capability Technology Demonstration contract for ADAS initially funded in September 2008.

The Army established the ADAS program to help pilots flying at low levels. The original system consists of a six infrared sensors and a combined helmet display. The additional capabilities are designed to give pilots greater situational awareness, company officials said.

Raytheon ranks No. 5 on Washington Technology’s 2009 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.