Today I learned that F-35 pilots get $400,000 helmets with 'X-ray vision' - but the Pentagon almost ditched…
Every F-35 pilot in the US Air Force gets their own custom-fitted $400,000 helmet, which lets them peer through the cockpit mid-flight to see what's going on in the surrounding airspace and the ground below.
This is possible through six infrared cameras embedded on to the flight's exterior, broadcasting a 360-degree video stream straight into the pilot's visor. Pilots say it's like being able to see through the hull of the aircraft, as if it were made of glass.
No expense spared
Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II is one of the world's most expensive fighter jets, priced anywhere between $80-110 million USD. These are single-seat, supersonic, stealth fighter jets designed for air strikes and electronic warfare.
Each fighter jet also comes equipped with a Gen III Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS). A single F-35 Gen III helmet costs four times more than what the older F-16 jets came equipped with....
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