It is the older brother of the T-7 Red Hawk, one of the most widely used training aircraft in the world. It is the T-45 Goshawk, designed by McDonnell Douglas/Boeing and British Aerospace in 1988. In total, some 214 have been built, all with the same core. At least so far: the US Navy has signed a contract with Mercury Mission Systems for almost 25 million euros for the T-45 Goshawk. equip T-45s with heads-up display (HUD).
The contract includes the production and delivery of 60 HUDs, 25 production spares, support equipment and associated technical data to enhance the training capabilities of the Navy’s pilot fleet. The HUDs that will be carried by the T-45s represent a significant technological advance, as offer electro-optical augmented visualization systems DAL-A certifiable aircraft that deliver real-time flight and weapons data in 1080p resolution, directly in the pilot’s line of sight.
The HUD’s low-profile design reduces rider discomfort, Maximizes field of view and integrates seamlessly with digital and analog inputs. This makes it compatible with modern enhanced vision systems, including Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), which is essential for various operational and training scenarios.
HUDs use digital light engine (DLE) technology based on the digital micromirror device (DMD) to produce high-resolution sunlight-readable symbology that is effective both in daylight and low light conditionsincluding night vision. This flexibility allows pilots to access critical flight data regardless of ambient lighting conditions, improving operational readiness and safety.
The design also focuses on reducing lifecycle maintenance and sustainment costs by using fewer components and optimizing mean time between failures (MTBF). These efficiencies contribute to lower long-term costs while maintaining high performance standards. Additionally, Mercury HUDs are equipped with an unobtrusive video camera array that allows live video recording with overlaid symbologyThe system’s flexible, reconfigurable Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) IP enables integration with a variety of aircraft interfaces, including digital (ARINC 818) and analog systems.
This adaptability ensures that HUDs can be used with both legacy aircraft and future platforms.