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Stranraer Firm to Develop Helmets

A STRANRAER company have been awarded a contract to develop one of the world's most advanced fighter aircrew helmets.

Helmet Integrated Systems Ltd will carry out development work at their base in Letchworth in England, but the manufacture and testing of the pre-production models will be done in Stranraer.

The helmets will be worn by crews flying the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter plane to be made by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

First flight is scheduled for October, 2005, with the plane coming into service in 2010.

HISL have landed the contract to develop the helmet unit from Vision Systems International and Kaiser Electronics, a Rockwell Collins business based in San Jose, California.

It involves the design, development, tooling, manufacture, testing and supply of helmets using advanced composite laminates and involving high-tec robotic manufacturing techniques.