EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif -- The 445th Flight Test Squadron conducted its first sortie testing the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System, a project that would allow an F‑15 pilot to track a target and aim his missiles by movements of his head.
The Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) is a modular helmet display mounted on a light weight HGU 55/P helmet shell that can accommodate a day or night module. The day module provides a 20-degree field-of-view visor projected monocular display. JHMCS provides several options for the night module including Night Vision Cueing Display (NVCD) QuadEye™ (100-degree by 40-degree field of view) or NVCD Aviator Night Vision Imaging System (40-degree field of view), with symbology or video inserted into the night-vision scene. JHMCS incorporates a highly accurate magnetic tracking system, providing the pilot full situational awareness throughout the canopy field-of-regard. JHMCS is in full-rate production and is operational on the F-15, F-16 and F/A-18.
The 445th Flight Test Squadron was part of the Air Force Flight Test Center. The squadron formulate the test program, develop the criteria for flight test missions, execute flight test missions, analyze data from the test flights and report on the results. The military personnel, government civilians, and contractors all work together as a team. This concept enables a cheaper, faster, and more effective test program and produces a more effective aerospace system for the warfighter. As of May 2015, the 445th FTS was merged into the 416th FTS also based at Edwards. When active, the 445th was the oldest Flight Test Squadron at the airbase. The squadron last flew the F-16C/D Fighting Falcons and T-38C Talons.