Israel Upgrades UH-60 fleet with Synthetic Vision Helmet System
Elbit Systems Ltd. confirmed that it will supply its Helmet Display and Tracking System (HDTS) to the Israeli Air Force for integration across the UH-60 Black Hawk, locally designated “Yanshuf,” helicopter fleet, introducing an upgraded pilot display system designed to enhance operational capability and flight safety.
The adoption of the HDTS synthetic vision system addresses operational challenges faced by helicopter crews operating in degraded visual environments such as dust, smoke, fog, precipitation, and nighttime conditions. These environments can limit pilot visibility during critical phases of flight, particularly approach and landing, where situational awareness is essential for safe mission execution.
According to Elbit Systems, the HDTS provides aircrews with advanced three-dimensional Synthetic Vision Symbology (SVS), displaying terrain, obstacles, and flight-plan data in real time directly within the pilot’s field of view. The system is designed to improve decision-making by maintaining continuous awareness even when natural visual references are limited or unavailable.
As noted by the company, the system includes specialized functionality for brownout conditions — situations in which rotor wash lifts dust or debris during landing, obscuring the pilot’s view. A synthetic landing-zone display allows crews to maintain orientation and situational perception, preserving safety margins during approach operations.
Yoram Shmuely, General Manager of Elbit Systems Aerospace, said: “We are proud to continue our longstanding and successful cooperation with the Israeli Air Force. Elbit Systems is a global leader in helmet system technologies, supplying advanced head-mounted solutions for a wide range of aircraft platforms worldwide. This program further strengthens Elbit’s position as a next-generation provider of integrated aircrew solutions, marking the transition from basic helmet-mounted displays to a fully operational system that unites display, precise head-tracking, synthetic symbology, and multi-sensor integration.”
Elbit Systems HDTS helmet display showing synthetic vision landing symbology during degraded visual environment operations.
The HDTS incorporates Line-of-Sight head-tracking technology that aligns displayed information precisely with the pilot’s viewing direction. This capability enables cockpit crew members to share spatial awareness and coordinate actions more effectively during complex missions, reducing the risk of human error in demanding flight environments.
Elbit Systems said the system is built on an open and modular architecture, allowing integration with multiple onboard and external sensors. These include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) payloads, thermal imaging systems, navigation and positioning equipment, obstacle-detection sensors, and external video feeds. The architecture enables continuous operation across day and night missions and in varying weather conditions.
Technically, helmet-mounted display and tracking systems project flight and mission data directly onto a visor or display aligned with the pilot’s line of sight. By eliminating the need for pilots to look down at cockpit instruments, these systems reduce workload and improve reaction time during low-altitude or high-tempo operations.
For helicopter crews, situational awareness systems are particularly important because rotary-wing aircraft frequently operate at low altitude, near terrain and obstacles, and in confined landing zones. Synthetic vision technology recreates the external environment digitally, allowing pilots to maintain spatial awareness even when visual cues are degraded.
The Israeli Air Force’s UH-60 Yanshuf fleet performs a wide range of missions, including troop transport, search and rescue, special operations support, and medical evacuation. Enhanced pilot visualization systems are intended to improve safety during these missions, particularly in challenging terrain and rapidly changing environmental conditions.