Elbit Systems of America to upgrade USAF WAC HUDs

Elbit Systems of America has been awarded a five-year, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to upgrade the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) Block 30 and Block 50 f-16 Wide Angle Conventional (WAC) Head Up Displays (HUDs). The company made the announcement in a company statement on 4 December 2011.

Under the contract, Elbit Systems of America will manufacture Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) Electronic Module Assemblies (EMA) for the WAC HUDs. The contract is worth a possible $38.5 to the company.

The Wide Angle Conventional Head-Up Display (WAC HUD) takes critical flight and mission data which is normally displayed inside the cockpit on an instrument panel and projects that information on a transparent surface directly in front of the pilot allowing for eyes out of the cockpit and improved situational awareness. 

According to the company, Elbit Systems of America Services and Support Solutions developed the new electronic module design in conjunction with its affiliate, Elbit Systems Electro-Optics Elop Ltd. (Elop). The assemblies utilise legacy optics but replace the outmoded chassis, cathode ray tube (CRT) and associated drive control electronics with current technology. The new design reduces total part count, lowering power consumption and significantly improving meantime between failure (MTBF).