Lockheed Martin Tests Pilotage System

Lockheed Martin announced Wednesday the successful first flight of its Pathfinder advanced pilotage system on an Army HH-60L Black Hawk MEDEVAC helicopter at Felker Army Airfield in Fort Eustis, Va. This flight marks the beginning of the developmental test phase for the system, which is derived from the AH-64D Apache’s Modernized Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-PNVS), Lockheed Martin said. The Pathfinder system incorporates Lockheed Martin's Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) system, also known as Arrowhead. The company said the system is designed to increase situational awareness and reduce pilot workload through a head-up, eyes-out, helmet-mounted display. It is a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system developed to support terrain flight and terminal operations in unimproved landing areas during reduced visibility conditions. It also has a Visible/Near Infrared (V/NIR) camera that enhances situational awareness in low light conditions by blending the V/NIR sensor video with Pathfinder FLIR, the company said. The system turret mounts on the helicopter’s chin using a kit consisting of three line-replaceable modules.