Combat airmen in Afghanistan will soon have a bird’s eye view of the battlefield through their own pair of eyeglasses. Vuzix of Rochester, N.Y., announced that delivery of the first shipment of Tac-Eye LT head-mounted displays will take place over the next 90 days. The tiny viewing screen “mounts to any standard issue ballistic eyewear or helmet and connects to any laptop or computer,” displaying live airborne feeds from remotely piloted aircraft, imagery from explosive ordnance disposal robots, or any available camera feed, according to the company. “The combat reviews and comments from the battlefield airmen community allowed us to customize our product to their specific needs . . . to increase the airmen’s situational awareness, decrease their carried combat load, and increase their safety,” stated Vuzix President and CEO Paul Travers. The Defense Department sponsored Tac-Eye LT’s development over the past five years.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
